From ‘Defending the Defenders’ to Diplomatic Desertion

With recent popular protests in Kenya and Togo and election-like events on the docket in Cameroon and Uganda in the coming months, I wrote about how we used to tactically use the USG’s moral and diplomatic support to ‘defend the defenders’ of democracy and human rights in Africa when I was on the Hill.

It goes without saying that, in Africa and abroad, we are not at all consistent in deploying this support. Regardless, I thought it was important to highlight the tool we’re discarding with the State Department’s July 17 directive prohibiting diplomats from commenting on the quality of electoral processes unless there is a ‘clear and compelling’ foreign policy interest.

🔗 Read more on my Substack.

 

 

 

 

 

Photo credit: Lana H. Haroun (8 April 2019)