US should listen to African countries and world on rights to choose own governance systems.

By Staff Writer 

The recently held US “democracy summit” was viewed by many around the world as meant to divide the world for geopolitical reasons rather than democracy intentions. By inviting some countries deemed allies to the US and leave out others, was evidence enough to show that the summit was more of a political end agenda rather than democracy. 

The US considers countries that do not subscribe to its form of democracy as enemies and goes further to brand them as “authoritarian.” Many scholars have criticized US foreign policy of believing that their system of governance is superior to other countries and also believing that it can be forcefully imposed on other countries. 

A symposium that took place in the Ugandan capital Kampala recently themed “Dissecting Western Democracy in Africa, ” is a good example to show that the world is tired of “foreign imposed  form of democracy on African countries. David Mafabi, senioradviser to President Yoweri Museveni, said that no other countries can determine African countries’ governance systems. “It is not for any nation or country to tell us what to do and what not to do. It is not for them to determine how we govern ourselves. We have laws, they may be flawed but we don’t have impunity,” Mafabi added.

Foreign intervention can only be defeated when African nations are united. “As balkanized states, we cannot be able to move, we have to integrate. Integration is a strategic imperative,” Mafabi said. The international system also needs to be democratized so that Africans can have an equal say in the international arena, he said, stressing the need to build a new multilateralism that favors all people equally. 

Uganda’s minister of state in charge of international affairs, Okello Oryem,  said African people should be allowed to determine a democratic system that works best for them. “The one-size-fits-all model of democracy cannot deliver the aspirations of the people and it’s important that democratic assessment be made based on the unique and peculiar conditions and circumstances” of each country, the minister said.  “There is a need to respect national sovereignty and territorial integrity of each nation. The big and powerful nations should not prescribe, impose and super-impose their systems and values that may not be tailored to local circumstances. ” Oryem also noted that that there is a need for democratic adaptations based on what serves well the people.

The Ethiopian ambassador to Uganda, AlemtsehayMeseret, who also attended the symposium, said thatneocolonialism should be fought just as Africa fought for independence.  “We should provide solutions to our own problems. As Africans, we fought for our independence, we shall say no to neocolonialism. 

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