New Rulers, US Plan Give Africa a Future
Clinton to push trade over aid to help Africa, where a new style of leaders brings hope
They came to power by guns, not glad-handing. They once touted Marx but now talk markets. They don't order their pictures hung in public but instead build schools, clean streets, grapple with graft.
A new breed of leaders is arising in Africa - leaders who know they must distance themselves from the days when despots bought villas in France while their people went hungry. A semblance of stability is being created in eastern and central Africa by the likes of Rwanda's Paul Kagame, Uganda's Yoweri Museveni, Eritrea's Issaias Afewerki, and possibly Congo's recent conqueror, Laurent-Desir Kabila.
They embody a break with the cold-war, post-colonial era, when big powers backed proxies in Africa. These men toy with democracy to win limited praise from Washington. To stay in power, they embrace market reforms that woo foreign investors.
They are leaders whom President Clinton is banking on for his plan, announced Tuesday, to alter the way the West treats the world's poorest continent. The plan, to be taken up this weekend at the Group of Seven summit in Denver, accents trade over aid, business over dependency.
"Americans want ... us to start treating Africa like we treat the rest of the world, as economic partners," said one co-sponsor of the initiative, Rep. Jim McDermott (D) of Washingon. The initiative would reward African countries reforming their economies by lowering tariffs, give some $650 million in loan guarantees to spur investment, and urge the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to forgive debts of the poorest countries.
Here are profiles of four heads of state who are putting a new face on governing in Africa:
YOWERI MUSEVENI could be called the founding member of the new club of strongmen. Uganda's president has set an indelible example of African leadership since taking the reins 10 years ago. He has inspired two protegs, Rwanda's Mr. Kagame and Congo's Mr. Kabila, whom he helped bring to power.
Mr. Museveni cut his political teeth in the 1970s, taking part in the Mozambican war of independence. He rose to power in the struggle to overthrow Ugandan dictators Idi Amin and Milton Obote. Now a decade into the job, Museveni presides over one of Africa's happier stories. Under his leadership, the ethnic massacres that tore the country apart have stopped.
Buoyed by this newfound stability, foreign investment has poured in. Uganda's 19 million people have enjoyed 8 percent economic growth since 1992 - one of the stronger economies on the continent.
But while winning plaudits for his financial pragmatism, Museveni's political approach has prompted some consternation among advocates of pluralism, who accuse him of authoritarianism. Under Museveni's "no party" state, individuals, but not parties, can take part in elections.
Museveni is irritated by foreign criticism, arguing that in Uganda political parties are inherently tribalist, and could tear society apart. He insists that, until stability is fully restored, the country cannot take the risk of fomenting ethnic tension.
Judging by the situation now, that could take some time. The country is still divided along ethnic lines, and he has a severe security threat with rebels in the north.
