SANTA MARIA, Cape Verde - Winding up an 11-day African tour, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday she's optimistic about its future and voiced no regrets about "tough love" messages she gave to government leaders there.
"I love coming to Africa," Clinton said at a joint news conference in Cape Verde with Prime Minister Jose Maria Pereira Neves as she prepared to head back to Washington.
"I have been overwhelmed," the secretary said of her visits to Kenya, South Africa, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Liberia, as well as Cape Verde. "I have been filled with hope and I have seen despair. But I come away with an even greater level of commitment than I had before," Clinton said.
She used the tour to reinforce a message that President Barack Obama brought to Africa earlier this year, a call for leaders to fight corruption, promote democracy, and combat civil strife, disease, violence and squalor wherever it exists.
Responding to Clinton, Neves said that "we represent a new and emerging Africa" with progress in the areas of free press, free speech and the rule of law.
U.S. officials have said that Cape Verde, a former Portuguese colony off the coast of West Africa, could serve as a model for other African nations as it has held numerous free and fair elections and has taken measures to ensure accountability and transparency in government.
Clinton, particularly, praised the government as "a model of democracy and economic progress in Africa." She noted that women account for more than half the members of Cape Verde's Cabinet. "I think the United States can learn a lot from your example," she told Neves.
Said Clinton: "I always feel a sense of awe that we are in the place where human beings began so many, many years ago."
"I leave Africa even more committed about what lies ahead," she told reporters. "The Obama administration has delivered ... a message of tough love. We are not sugarcoating the problems. We're not shying away from them."
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My Peace Corps adventures in Cabo Verde.
The Fine Print
The statements and opinions represented here are those of the author and are in no way affiliated with the Peace Corps or the United States government." Also, the author has and will, on occassion, change the names of those involved to protect the innocent, and it is possible that certain liberties may have been taken with the space time continuum. This has been done for you, the reader.
2 comments:
Caley,
Are you back home in the States?
We miss your posts!
Great job on this blog by the way . . .
ate logo,
Mark
Mark Dombrofski
Santo Antao '97 - 99
Hi there!
I'm a Swedish woman, 33 years old and I'm trying to find a job and a life for me on the Cape Verde islands. Maybe you have som advices for me on how to start my new life? I'm now working as a secretary in an office in the South of Sweden. I've been travelling a lot in Africa and Asia and I always come back to Sweden feeling empty and that I need to do something REAL with my life - not just sitting by the computer, if you know what I mean. I've been to the island Sal on vacation for 2 weeks and found this place as my new home! I really want to go back and explore the other islands of Cape Verde. I can imagine to work within almost anything as long as I feel needed and useful. I've found an apartment that I can rent on Sal already, but of course I need a job to make a living. Can you help me? I would appreciate if you could send me an e-mail to malin.happy@hotmail.com. Take care! From Malin in Sweden.
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