[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
[March 25, 1998]
[Pages 434-438]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Communique: Entebbe Summit for Peace and Prosperity
March 25, 1998

Joint Declaration of Principles

The Entebbe Summit of Heads of State and Government

    At the joint invitation of H.E. President Yoweri Kaguta 
Museveni of the Republic of Uganda 
and H.E. President William Jefferson Clinton of the United States of 
America, their excellencies Mr. Daniel T. arap Moi, President of the Republic of Kenya, Mr. Pasteur 
Bizimungu, President of the Republic of 
Rwanda, Mr. Benjamin William Mkapa, 
President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Mr. Laurent Desire 
Kabila, President of the Democratic 
Republic of Congo, Mr. Meles Zenawi, Prime 
Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and Mr. Salim 
Ahmed Salim, Secretary-General of the 
Organization of African Unity, met on Wednesday 25 March, 1998 at 
Entebbe, Uganda.
    The exchange of views between the African leaders and the President 
of the United States marks a new beginning, launching a process of 
defining and building a U.S.-Africa partnership for the 21st Century. 
The Heads of State and Government reaffirm the historical bonds between 
the people of America and Africa. We pledge to deepen these ties through 
a lasting partnership rooted in common values and recognition of our 
interdependence, and built upon mutual respect and the sovereign 
equality of nations. The Leaders commit themselves to honor and execute 
agreements mutually concluded by all the parties to rigorously pursue 
Africa's economic growth and transformation, and full integration into 
the global economy.

Putting Partnership into Practice:

    The Heads of State and Government recognize that to effect this new, 
genuine and transparent partnership, there is a need to commit ourselves 
to the identification and acknowledgment of both our mutual and 
divergent interests, the pursuit of free and frank discussions, and a 
clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of each partner.

A Partnership Built on Principle and a Shared Vision:

    The Heads of State and Government recognize that a lasting 
partnership must be built on the principles of shared ownership, joint 
responsibility, and full transparency.
    The Heads of State and Government further acknowledge a shared vital 
interest in long-term meaningful engagement. We affirm that Africa and 
the United States hold a mutual interest: in fostering Africa's economic 
and political transformation and full integration into the global 
economy, and in promoting democratic participation and respect for human 
rights. We affirm that social, economic and political inclusion is the 
foundation for lasting peace and stability. The Leaders declared that 
African and American security interests alike will be advanced by a 
joint attack on the transnational problems of terrorism, disease, 
proliferation of weapons, drug trafficking and environmental 
degradation.

On Building a New Economic Future:

    Recognizing that Africa's stability, and democracy's viability, are 
rooted in the alleviation of

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poverty and the achievement of sustainable economic development, the 
Heads of State and Government commit themselves to a series of measures 
designed to speed Africa's transformation and full integration into the 
global economy, and to expand mutually beneficial trade and investment 
opportunities:
    The Leaders commit themselves to fostering an expanded 
            African and international dialogue, aimed at defining 
            strategies to facilitate Africa's global integration that 
            are as flexible and creative as those applied to post-war 
            Europe and Asia;
    The Heads of State and Government reaffirm the importance of 
            Inter-Governmental Authority on Development and East African 
            Cooperation initiatives to facilitate regional economic 
            integration and create a larger regional market, and commit 
            themselves to identifying ways and means to accelerate these 
            and other efforts;
    Endorsing the conclusions of the World Bank Summit convened 
            in Kampala in January 1998, the Leaders agree to target 
            their own efforts in four critical areas, and to encourage 
            the multilateral institutions to also fully support:

            the development of a sustained international dialogue, based 
            on mutual respect, on how to ensure that mandated economic 
            reform programs reflect the specific circumstances of 
            individual countries;

            the expansion of external resource flows, directed, in 
            particular, at human resource development, infrastructure, 
            rural development and research;

            increased investment in the physical infrastructure required 
            to sustain regional trade and integration;

            building African capacity to lead the economic reform 
            process through transparent and accountable political and 
            economic institutions.

    The United States affirms the priority it attaches to speedy 
            implementation of President Clinton's Partnership for 
            Economic Growth and the enactment of the African Growth and 
            Opportunity Act, legislation that will permit broader market 
            access for African goods;
    The Heads of State and Government affirm the African Growth 
            and Opportunity Act as a major step forward in U.S.-African 
            economic relations, but acknowledge that this effort to 
            provide greater market access for African goods must be 
            complemented by efforts to increase African capacity to 
            diversify economies and produce exportable goods;
    The Heads of State and Government pledge to work together to 
            explore ways and means of ensuring that this Act, and other 
            measures including but not limited to initiatives of the 
            multilateral financial institutions, reflect and build upon 
            the diversity, in both circumstances and approach, of 
            Africa's national economies;
    The Heads of State and Government also emphasize the 
            critical need to further strengthen, in particular, 
            agricultural production and processing, including through 
            the transfer of technologies;
    The Heads of State and Government welcome the decision of 
            the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), to 
            target $500 million for infrastructure investment in Sub-
            Saharan Africa;
    In the interest of further expanding U.S. private investment 
            in the region and across Africa, the Heads of State and 
            Government are committed to undertaking concrete measures 
            aimed at promoting African investment opportunities, and to 
            building African capacity to further enhance the economic 
            policy environment;
    In recognition of the African desire for increased self-
            sufficiency and the dangers of aid dependency, the Heads of 
            State and Government agree that an accelerated effort should 
            be made to use foreign assistance as a tool for the 
            enhancement of trade, investment and capital formation, as 
            well as for sustainable economic development;
    The Heads of State and Government recognize the continuing 
            obstacle that the debt burden poses to Africa's economic 
            transformation, and reaffirm their collective determination 
            to fully implement innovative approaches to the management 
            and lessening of the debt burden;

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    The Heads of State and Government commend ongoing African 
            efforts, as well as those of Africa's partners, to increase 
            transparency, fight corruption and support better business 
            practices, and welcome regional and continental efforts to 
            further these aims.

On Condemnation of Acts of Genocide

    The Heads of State and Government recognize the accomplishment of 
the Government of Rwanda in halting the 1994 genocide, condemn all acts 
of genocide and pledge to undertake a concerted effort to prevent is 
resurgence. To this end:
    All Heads of State and Government condemn the continued 
            atrocities of the ex-FAR, the Interahamwe and their allies, 
            pledge to work together to prohibit future atrocities in the 
            Great Lakes region, including those aided and abetted by 
            external arms suppliers, call for the revitalization and 
            expansion of the UN Arms Flow Commission, and are committed 
            to publicize and duly consider its findings;
    African Heads of State and Government pledge to deny 
            extremist networks the use of their territory, postal 
            services, airports, financial institutions, passports, road 
            networks and communications systems. The Summit calls upon 
            all states to implement tight controls over these networks 
            abroad;
    All Heads of State and Government pledge to support the 
            efforts of the OAU Eminent Personalities Study of the Rwanda 
            Genocide and the Surrounding Events, and to duly consider 
            its findings and recommendations;
    The United States commits itself to working with regional 
            partners and others to begin exploring, within one month's 
            time, the creation of an international Coalition Against 
            Genocide, the aims of which might include: fostering 
            international coordination in support of regional efforts to 
            enforce anti-genocide measures; providing a forum for high-
            level deliberations on long-term efforts to prevent genocide 
            in the future; and ensuring international support for the 
            findings of the OAU Study;
    The Heads of State and Government commend the Government of 
            Rwanda for its efforts to render justice for the victims of 
            the genocide and to prevent acts of revenge. We call upon 
            the international community to redouble its efforts to work 
            with the Government of Rwanda to achieve these goals;
    The Heads of State and Government recognize recent progress 
            made by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, but 
            express their concern about the slow pace with which the 
            Tribunal's work has proceeded, urge the ICTR to do 
            everything within its power to accelerate the processing of 
            its cases, and call on all nations to cooperate fully and 
            expeditiously with the Tribunal;
    The Heads of State and Government affirm that the 
            restoration of regional peace and stability requires an end 
            to the culture of impunity and the restoration of the rule 
            of law, and pledge their best efforts to strengthening 
            national systems of civilian and military justice. The 
            United States commits itself through the Great Lakes Justice 
            Initiative, to an expanded effort to help the public and 
            private sectors in Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic 
            Republic of Congo develop justice systems that are 
            impartial, credible, and effective, and to support efforts 
            to promote inclusion, coexistence, cooperation and security;

On Fostering Democratic Participation, Human Rights and Regional 
Stability:

    The Heads of State and Government affirm that the destiny and 
security of Africa rest primarily in the hands of Africans themselves. 
The Leaders pledge to seek additional resources and, in consultation 
with the OAU and UN, to build upon ongoing efforts, both regionally and 
internationally, to strengthen and sustain regional security and African 
peacekeeping capacity. The Leaders condemn, and pledge continued 
cooperative efforts to resist, all forms of cross-border terrorism 
directed against civilians.
    Recognizing that the stability of the region also depends on the 
sustainability of African democratization, the Heads of State and 
Government endorse the core principles of inclusion, the rule of law, 
respect for human rights, the equality of all men and women, and the 
right of citizens to regularly elect their leaders freely and to 
participate fully in the decision-making which affects them. Further:

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    The Heads of State and Government pledge to pursue a 
            dialogue on democratization that: accepts these core 
            principles; recognizes that there is no fixed model for 
            democratic institutions or transformation; explores 
            alternative approaches to the democratic management of 
            cultural diversity; and takes into account differences in 
            historical experience;
    The Heads of State and Government recognize the central role 
            of freely-elected governments in leading Africa's economic 
            and political transformation, the need to ensure that those 
            governments attain the capacity to lead effectively and 
            transparently, and the need to foster a healthy and 
            mutually-accountable relationship between elected 
            governments and a vibrant and responsible civil society;
    The Heads of State and Government affirm the vital role 
            national organizations of civil society can play in easing 
            the transition from conflict and authoritarian rule to 
            participatory democracy, and in contributing to the region's 
            social, political and economic development;
    Recognizing the critical roles local and national 
            institutions of government play in providing a foundation 
            for democracy, the Heads of State and Government urge all 
            concerned that increased emphasis be given to building the 
            capacity of these institutions;
    The Heads of State and Government underscore a shared 
            commitment to respect for human rights, as articulated in 
            the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter 
            on Human and People's Rights;
    The Heads of State and Government urge the international 
            community to take note of the lessons learned from the 
            region's tragic past. We pledge to uphold humanitarian 
            principles, including the right of civilians to assistance 
            in situations of conflict, and the protection of refugees 
            and non-combatants. We call on the international community 
            and host countries to prevent any future delivery of 
            humanitarian assistance to armed combatants; to work to 
            insure that refugees are not subjected to political 
            intimidation; and to work closely with regional actors, both 
            governmental and non-governmental, to insure access by 
            humanitarian providers to all populations in need;
    The Heads of State and Government applaud the commitment and 
            effort made by the OAU Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, 
            Management and Resolution, and by emerging sub-regional 
            bodies, such as the Inter-Governmental Authority on 
            Development, to foster African-led approaches to conflict 
            prevention, management and resolution and pledge to work 
            towards building further international support for these 
            efforts.

On Pursuing the Partnership Into the Future:

    The Heads of State and Government unanimously agree to explore 
mechanisms for regular consultations and encounters at the highest level 
between African and U.S. leaders. Noting the importance of mutual 
understanding between African and American citizens, we call for 
expanded cultural and educational exchanges.
    The African leaders noted with appreciation President Clinton's 
historic visit to Africa and express the hope that his presence on the 
continent has opened a new chapter in Africa-U.S. relations. The Heads 
of State and Government recognize that the development of a lasting 
partnership, characterized by shared ownership and meaningful 
engagement, will require commitment, time and patience. The Leaders 
commit themselves to pursue this objective in the spirit of mutual 
respect, to deepen a frank and honest dialogue, to evaluate jointly 
progress made in the months ahead, and to secure a meaningful and 
lasting partnership for the 21st Century.
    The President of the U.S.A. and the African Heads of State and 
Government express deep appreciation to President Yoweri Kaguta 
Museveni, the Government and the 
people of Uganda for the warm hospitality accorded to them during their 
visit to Uganda.
Done at Entebbe, Uganda on Wednesday 25 March, 1998.


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William Jefferson Clinton,              Yoweri Kaguta Museveni,
President of the United States of       President of the Republic of
 America.                                Uganda.
Daniel T. arap Moi,                         eq>Pasteur Bizimungu,
President of the Republic of Kenya.     President of the Republic of
                                         Rwanda.
Benjamin William Mkapa,             eq>Laurent Desire Kabila,
President of the United Republic of     President of the Democratic
 Tanzania.                               Republic of Congo.
Meles Zenawi,
Prime Minister of the Federal
 Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

Entebbe, Uganda

25. March, 1998

Note: The joint statement was made available by the Office of the Press 
Secretary but was not issued as a White House press release. An original 
was not available for verification of the content of this joint 
statement.