The president was introduced to the crowd by his half-sister, Auma Obama, who said her brother “continues to be very attached to us”.
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“The future of Africa is up to Africans”, Obama said during a trip to Kenya and Ethiopia that concluded Tuesday.
The report said the expulsion of Ethiopian journalists spiked in the run-up to Ethiopia’s widely criticized election in May, which left the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) in power, where it has been for a quarter of a century. “Nations can not realize the full promise of independence until they fully protect the rights of their people”.
Mr. Obama’s comments urging a peaceful transition of power in Africa came as lawmakers in Rwanda consider removing presidential term limits from the country’s constitution.
There, the actions of president Pierre Nkurunziza have sparked a constitutional crisis that has pushed the country back to the brink of civil war. “This is often just a first step down a perilous path”.
‘As Africa stands against terror and conflict, I want you to know the United States stands with you, ‘ Obama told the African Union, highlighting threats ranging from Somalia’s Shebab, Boko Haram in Nigeria, insurgents in Mali and Tunisia, and the Uganda-led Lord’s Resistance Army rebels in central Africa.
“No one should be president for life”, said Obama, who leaves office in January 2017. It means I can take a walk, I can spend more time with my family, new ways to serve, and more visits to Africa.
He dismissed other leaders who insist that they were the best to hold their countries together.
“I actually think I’m a pretty good president”, Obama said, departing from his prepared text in a speech at the African Union.
Obama cited the African nation Burundi as an example where violence can reign if leaders do not give way for new leaders. “It can’t just be America that talks about these things”.
Obama said Africa’s impending population boom could bring tremendous opportunities for the continent on the one hand.
Relations between the US and Zimbabwe have remained frosty for years over allegations of human rights abuses levelled against Mugabe and his ruling Zanu-PF party.
Speaking earlier, the chairperson of the AU Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, said Africans are proud to be part of the “beautiful tapestry of humanity” in the US.
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“But the biggest applause was reserved for his criticism of presidents going past their term limits, like the third-term election of the president of Burundi”. “In his first term, I think Obama only spent less than 24 hours in sub-Saharan Africa”. He said the world must do more to help, too, and announced that he will host a summit at the United Nations in September to secure additional support for global peacekeeping, including in Africa.
