Rawlings, Former Heads of States Conclude Summit

(Boston, Mass.) ? Ex President of Ghana, Jerry John Rawlings and five other African former heads of state attending concluded a historic two-day summit at Boston University, an inaugural annual roundtable instituted by the BU African Presidential Archives and Research Center (APARC), by issuing a joint statement. Participants were Nicephore Sogolo of Benin; Ketumile Masire of Botswana; Ali Hassan Mwinyi of Tanzania; Dr. Navichandra Ramgoolam of Mauritius; and Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, who is the current APARC Balfour African President-in-Residence at BU.

Along with U.S. policymakers and business executives ? including Walter Kansteiner, assistant secretary of State for African affairs; Andrew Natsios, director of the U.S. Agency for International Development; and James Harmon, former chairman of the Export/Import Bank ? the African leaders discussed how to attract business and increase capital flows to Africa.

The joint statement delivered by then senior former leader, Dr. Kaunda, reads as follows:

?I wish to begin my remarks by stating that we have just concluded our two-day Presidential Roundtable hosted by the African Presidential Archives and Research Center at Boston University. During our deliberations, we exchanged views on many issues that are of interest to Africa and the United States of America. I must say that the occasion was a wonderful reunion with my fellow retirees their Excellencies Sir Ketumille Masire of Botswana, Ali Hassan Mwinyi of Tanzania, Jerry Rawlings of Ghana, Nicephore Soglo of Benin, and Navinchandra Ramgoolam of Mauritius.

?I wish to thank these distinguished statesmen for gracing the meetings, and more importantly, their continued service to humanity. Let me assure them that the Center greatly values their contributions and wise counsel.

?One other name that deserves particular mention is that of Ambassador Charles Stith, director of the African Presidential Archives and Research Center. I commend him for his leadership and hard work in making this Roundtable happen. Though he is not here today, I also want to thank Chancellor John Silber for the gracious hospitality he has extended to us since we?ve been here and for his wisdom and foresight in appointing Ambassador Stith to establish the African Presidential Archives and Research Center. APARC is the perfect complement to Boston University?s historic leadership position in the area of African Studies.

?For the past couple of days we have been involved in-depth talks about the necessity of increasing business and capital flows to Africa and the need to build the infrastructure necessary to accommodate those sorts of economic activities. As the former heads of states of Benin, Botswana, Ghana, Mauritius, Tanzania, and Zambia we felt that it was important to participate in these discussions for a couple of reasons. First of all, on the one hand, Africa has been excluded for too long in terms of having access to its fair place in the global economy, and, on the other hand, Africa has never been more primed to take its place in the global economy.

?The countries that we had the privilege to serve as heads of state, and others like South Africa, Senegal, are serious about democratization and free market reform. The development of NEPAD (the New Economic Partnership for Africa Development), which is built on the twin pillars of good governance and sound economic policies, as well as the inauguration of the African Union, which reflects the same sentiments are clear indications that as Africans we believe it is time that Africa, a continent of close to 800 million people and 53 countries receive more that 4 percent of the private capital flows that fuel the global economy. Our purpose today is say it is time to take the albatross of neglect from around Africa?s neck and replace it with a sign that says Africa is open for business.

?A second reason that we thought it was particularly important for us to come to the United States for these discussions ? with people like Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Walter Kansteiner, USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios, James Harmon, Chairman of the Corporate Council/World Bank Commission on Financing Capital Flows to Africa, and other public and private sector leaders ? is that the present global crisis gives an urgency to our concerns about Africa?s needs. We understand the need to rebuild Afghanistan. We understand the need to rebuild Iraq. We understand the need for the United States to focus on the terrorism that rocked this country on 9/11.

?But, having said that, let us add that the need to deal with terrorism should not become another reason for Africa?s neglect. Even more so, it is important to point out that there is a connection between America?s (and other country?s) national security and the economic security of developing nations around the world. This is not simply an African perspective it is something that has been agreed upon by both Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Jacque Chirac, eventhough they they?ve disagreed on the strategy to deal with Iraq.

?A new era is emerging in Africa. Democratic rule and economic liberalization are taking root in a number of African countries. This trend is commendable and should be encouraged. We are therefore optimistic about the future despite the present economic environment. The optimism we feel is fueled by our belief that the winds of democratic and economic reform blowing on the continent will continue to blow across the continent. Furthermore, we are optimistic because of initiatives that have so far been taken in this country, like the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), USAID?s stepped-up efforts, and the Corporate Council/World Bank Commission on Financing Capital Flows to Africa.

?The optimism we feel is not cause for complacency. As Elder Statesmen, we will continue to work in our respective countries and on the continent to encourage the sort of regulatory reform, and macro and micro economic changes that will enable Africa to flourish; and we will also continue to encourage, challenge, and cajole the leadership of this country to stay the course in the effort to fully include Africa in the global economy. America?s leadership to encourage greater capital flows, provide incentives for investment on the continent, and advocate for further debt relief are absolutely essential to creating the global consensus to treat Africa fairly.

?It is our hope that our leaders the business communities, in Africa and the United States, will intensify their efforts toward the attainment of our cherished goal of placing each African country, and the continent as a whole, on the path of sustainable growth and development and to halt the marginalization of Africa in the globalization process. We hope that these two days of discussions and our future efforts will result in the progress we seek for Africa.?

For more on the APARC summit, see http://www.bu.edu/aparc/news/summit.htm