Obama urges stand against non-democratic African leaders

US President Barack Obama urged young African leaders to work for change on their continent and bolster democracy, slamming many independence-era leaders who were elected but then clung to power.



Welcoming more than 100 young Africans to the White House for a forum marking 50 years since 1960 when many former colonies on the continent gained their independence, Obama said he hoped "some of you will end up being leaders of your countries some day.

"If you think about it, back in the 1960s, when your grandparents, great-grandparents, were fighting for independence, the first leaders, they all said that they were for democracy," Obama -- the first African-American US president -- said at the gathering on Africa's next half century.

He hailed Africa's "burst of self-determination" that helped rid the continent of abusive colonialism. But "what's been happening is that when you've been in power for a while, you say 'Well, I must be such a good ruler, that it's for the benefit of the people that I need to stay here.' And so then you start changing the laws, and intimidating and jailing opponents.

"And pretty soon, young people just like yourselves, full of hope and promise, end up becoming exactly what they fought against," Obama cautioned.

Read more: AFP

 

Non-democratic leaders really means dictators and absolute monarchies.

 

... which Obama as a realist absolutely does not mind as long as it is closely aligned with the interests of the United States.

 

Absolute truth!!!

 

Wasn't there some guy who wasn't elected properly but still got to be president? George something. . .can't remember. Something about stopping votes in Florida. . .was is George Bash? Bish? Bosh? Anyway I'm sure Obama will go after that guy.

 

'just because you got all the votes, dont mean you won'

-a comedian drawing similarities to George Dub and a gangster

 

Amen!!!