Grants >> 2004 Africa Program Highlights

Program Highlights Grantee Spotlight 2004 Africa Program Descriptions: Angola Burundi Cameroon Côte d'Ivoire Democratic Republic of Congo Ethiopia Ghana Kenya Liberia Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Republic of Congo Senegal Sierra Leone Somalia Somaliland South Africa Sudan Tanzania Togo Uganda Zimbabwe Africa Regional Jump to Regional Programs Although democracy advanced in Africa during 2004, grave setbacks once more served as a reminder that steady progress cannot be taken for granted. Progress towards a peace agreement in Sudan (finally concluded in January 2005) were overshadowed by escalating violence in Darfur; the ongoing democratic political process in the Democratic Republic of Congo was jeopardized by the onset of fighting in the eastern part of the country; and prospects for reconciliation in Cote d'Ivoire were dashed when an internationally negotiated ceasefire was broken. The year witnessed reasonably free and fair elections in Ghana, Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa, but it also saw rigged and gravely flawed electoral processes in Rwanda and Cameroon. Negotiations in Somalia produced a new parliament, which nonetheless feared returning to Mogadishu, where insecurity still prevails. Relatively democratic governments such as Kenya, Sierra Leone, Benin and Nigeria were plagued by pervasive corruption. At the same time, authoritarian governments sought to reverse democratic gains: Zimbabwe, which adopted laws aimed at suppressing freedom of the press and assembly, as well as human rights and democracy organizations; Rwanda, which chased opposition politicians and human rights groups into exile; and Uganda, which increased the use of torture and sought to extend the president's ability to run beyond the two terms mandated by the constitution. Throughout this tumultuous year, the NED Africa program helped to buttress democracy's advances and fought to reverse the negative trends. In 2004, the Democratic Republic of Congo remained NED's number one priority in Africa; the 32 grants to civil society groups throughout the country focused on strengthening the rule of law, resisting violence against women and promoting human rights, peace, and democracy. Grants emphasized assistance to beleaguered human rights groups in the East, where according to the International Rescue Committee, fighting and the resulting dislocation was killing 1,000 Congolese per day. NED grantees such as Groupe Lotus and Groupe Lufalanga in Kisangani held civic education workshops in outlying villages; Promotion et Appui aux Initiatives Feminines (PAIF) and Solidarité des Femmes de Fizi pour le Bien-Etre Familial (SOFIBEF) promoted women's rights in the countryside around Goma and Bukavu; Fondation pour le Renforcement des Capacités des Poulations (FORECAP) trained police; and Haki Za Binadamu trained members of the judiciary on human rights in Kindu. With the prospects of a peace agreement on the horizon, NED's grants program in Sudan expanded dramatically, focusing on national reconciliation and the emergence of a democratic process. The Sudan Council of Churches conducted conflict resolution training for its staff and the Badya Center held community reconciliation talks between Arabs and Nuba in the Nuba Mountains. The Sudan Studies Center and the National Center for Peace and Development brought together government and opposition parties for trainings and discussions on democratic governance, human rights and eliminating corruption. The Self-Help Foundation conducted a democracy school for internally displaced persons, and the Freedom Equality Peace Society mobilized youth for democracy. Although government harassment had previously forced it to close down, the Khartoum Monitor resumed publication, and several grantees such as the Enviornmentalists Society and Mutawinat conducted conflict resolution and legal aid programs in Darfur. NDI completed a comprehensive focus group survey of political opinion in southern Sudan, and IRI conducted political training with women and youth groups in both the South and the North. In addition to Sudan, the Africa program worked to strengthen its presence in other predominantly Muslim countries. In Somalia and Somaliland, new grantees in Burao, Galcayo, Kismayo and Baladweyn expanded the reach of human rights and democracy activists to new areas; these groups monitored human rights abuses, trained journalists and human rights activists and conducted a campaign to promote women's rights. In northern Nigeria, several NED groups promoting democratic values among women and youth received NED support. NED's Liberia program also grew. Grantees received help to combat the trafficking in small arms, reconcile demobilizing child soldiers with their families and communities, fight corruption, and reach rural women in displaced persons' camps with civic education. NDI also implemented a program to provide technical assistance and material resources to strengthen Liberian civil society. NED's core grantees received support for various strategic programs. NDI and IRI continued work with Kenya's political parties, which remain hobbled by political infighting. ACILS provided critical support to the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, perhaps that country's most important force for democracy. And CIPE supported the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce radio program, which was briefly suspended by the government. CIPE also supported a range of initiatives across Africa promoting better corporate governance. NED also supported various pan-African efforts. The Africa Democracy Forum (ADF), a continent-wide network of grassroots democrats, held a large gathering in Durban, South Africa, that coincided with the World Movement for Democracy's Third Assembly. The ADF also held an internet training meeting for its members and a conflict resolution training for youth members in Nairobi, where its secretariat was recently established. Other notable initiatives included the Africa Judicial Forum based in Kampala, Uganda, connecting judges and other legal practitioners across the continent, the Kituo Cha Katiba, promoting constitutional reform in East Africa, and the Mano River Union Civil Society and Mano River Union Human Rights networks in West Africa, promoting regional cooperation among local NGOs.

|