MWAMOYO HAMZA, Washington D.C.
YOU could almost see the faint streak of a star running across the Washington sky this week as President Jakaya Kikwete visited the political capital of the world. The Tanzanian president is indeed evolving into the most favored African presidents in Washington. He makes unusual waves when he visits Washington ? well, not quite like Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia but the Tanzanian president clearly embodies the tremendous promise of a star African president.
While in town President Kikwete made rounds that are markers of important guests in this most powerful political town in the world. When you are in Washington and you have a long conversation with the powerful Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice; have an earnest talk with the influential Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) ? a group of black representatives in the United States Congress ? you must be doing something right.
Most impressive was the talk Kikwete had with members of the CBC Tuesday that was attended by all influential black congressmen, including representatives Barbara Lee, Elijah Cummings, and Donald Payne. Sources say the Tanzanian president briefed the members on various African issues and challenged them to strengthen Africa’s constituency in the US by pushing African issues into the domestic agenda of US national politics.
He informed the CBC that the African Union had designated the African Diaspora as the Sixth Chapter of the AU - underlining the seriousness that Africa pays to its relationship with Africans and people of African descent who live outside the continent. So impressive was the president that the representatives waited until the last minute to rush to the floor of the House of Representatives for an impending vote.
President Kikwete’s meeting with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice may have elicited instant outcome, for just the next day, the US Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation announced that Tanzania would get a $ 698m aid package to be spent on poverty reduction programmes.
The statement said the money would be used to improve the country’s road network, power system and water supply. Just so you know, the Millennium Challenge Corporation gives grants only to countries that demonstrate a commitment to good governance, economic freedom and elimination of extreme poverty.
On Monday President Kikwete gave the inaugural African Presidential Lecture Series jointly organized by the African Union Mission in the US and the Washington-based Academy of Education and Development (AED). It was a remarkable honour at a time when there were so many African leaders in the area, ready for the United Nations General Assembly next week in New York. In what sounded like a self-prophecy Kikwete pleaded with the West to focus on the stars in the African landscape instead of the forbidding sand dunes.
This visit demonstrated that Washington is warming up to Kikwete as the kind of an African leader who could lead the way in forging a dependable working relationship with the West ? a star president. Melvin Foote, Chief Executive Officer of Constituency for Africa says: ’’I am very impressed with President Kikwete.? He operates very much in line with the tempo established by Julius Nyerere.?I find him very rationale, compassionate, and Diasporic in his perspective.’’
But with stardom comes more scrutiny. While the president is clearly winning Washington’s confidence, it is also obvious that he is yet to step out there and claim his place in the spotlight. His speeches are sensible but not spirited or memorable. He is articulate but lacks fire in his speeches.
I mean just like, let it all hang out and drop a bomb ? not that kind - a vision bomb that announces to the West that there is new thinking in Africa and ’I’m the face of it.’ He also needs to learn the art of making his visits to Washington a major news event for the American media.
For now, the big media outlets such as television networks ? CNN, ABC and CBS and major newspapers such as the Washington Post hardly give him coverage. That would not come with halting, quiet diplomacy. It comes with making noise, sensible noise.
jumbe@verizon.net
No comments:
Post a Comment