5million Returning To Home Countries In Africa (uncredited) Bush emphasis building Peace/Stability

U.N. Press Release ^ | 16 February 2004

[Stultis]

5million Returning To Home Countries In Africa
Monday, 16 February 2004, 9:33 am
Press Release: United Nations

UN Refugee Agency Anticipates Millions Returning To Home Countries In Africa

With more than 5 million African refugees and internally displaced people preparing to return home, the United Nations refugee agency announced plans today to hold a ministerial-level meeting next month on comprehensive regional approaches to repatriation and sustainable reintegration on the continent.

The Dialogue on Voluntary Repatriation and Sustainable Reintegration in Africa will bring together key ministers, donor governments and other partners at the UN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss peace processes and refugee problems, the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) said.

"While we often cite our concerns about specific refugee problems in Africa, UNHCR believes there is now cause for cautious optimism about resolving some of the most protracted refugee and displacement situations on the continent," UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond said.

For the first time, he said, the Office sees "multiple possibilities for the potential repatriation of up to 2 million refugees." Thanks to greater stability or progress in peace processes, returns are already occurring in Angola, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia, Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). These countries account for more than 5 million refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs).

"Given the enormous potential for finding lasting solutions for so many people, UNHCR believes the international community needs to seize this opportunity and take a comprehensive regional approach toward ensuring repatriation and sustainable reintegration in Africa," Redmond said.

Some refugees have declined to go home because of such factors as land mine risks, poor or non-existent physical infrastructure, lack of jobs and a fragile socio-economic situation, according to UNHCR.

[Stultis]

Bush has devoted more attention to the continent of Africa than any modern President, including the "first African-American President" (who only used Africa as a vacation spot or cruise missile practice range).

A peace between north and south Sudan is likely to be concluded this year, a direct result of a diplomatic initiative begun early in the Bush Presidency, and could well involve the liberation of thousands of black Africans from chattel slavery. The presence of U.S. military forces in the horn of Africa, although they are primarily there to deny safe haven to al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups, has resulted in significant gains in stability and security in a region littered with "failed states". Bush has pushed through major increases in foreign aid for Africa and (more importantly) has targeted aid intelligently, keeping more of it out the of the hands of dictators (e.g. the "millennium fund," reserved for countries with "good governance") and the "aids" funding (that will impact the primary causes of reduced productivity in labor dependent developing economies).

Bush's historic and productive emphasis on Africa needs and deserves to a major campaign theme in 2004. It will not only help with African-American voters, but will impress moderates and independents.

[mgist]

The acknowledgement of President Bush's efforts are only as good as his team's ability to communicate them. As you mentioned before, he is not exactly getting credit for this and it hasn't been mentioned in any articles or speeches I've seen associating these events the the President.

[Caipirabob]

Wow. I hail their courage and dedication to return and rebuild a life for themselves. God help them. Outside of what we've donated to the cause, I don't see how the UN is going to.

[2banana]

DON'T FORGET THE 1 MILLION AFGANS THAT HAVE RETURNED HOME BECAUSE OF BUSH.

He gets no credit for this good deed either.

[Stultis]

Maybe Team Bush is waiting for the Sudan peace deal to come through? The 'Rats may be worried about the Africa issue. It seemed like they timed releases associated with the Valerie Plame issue and the "16 words" to correspond with (and sabotage) Bush's Africa trip last year.

[Stultis]

...and the million plus saved from starvation due to the emphasis on food aid distribution (which the Taliban had purposely hindered) and the hundreds of thousands of children alive today because of the rapid implementation of vaccination campaigns (which the Taliban had prevented), etc, etc, etc...

[reformedliberal]

Actually, there are articles and speeches detailing this and this one is an example. These articles have been written since
GWB announced his AIDs program.

Many people have been snorting derision at the Bush administration's modest AIDs contribution to Africa. This article shows that, yet again, it is consistent w/the *grow democracy* doctrine. It makes a dent in immigration, while providing real aid for the 3rd-4th world nations that otherwise would remain an unstable swamp of discontent and a breeding ground for violence and terror.

[citizen]

Surely such acknowledgement will be a part of the Bush reelect plan, later when it is actually happening on the ground.

Though I do hate having to depend on kind works from Kofi to get a bit of good international press.