ALGIERS (AFP)
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Saturday pledged US backing for democratic and economic development in north Africa as she toured the region that gave birth to the Arab Spring.
Clinton flew into Algeria from neighbouring Tunisia, where she attended the “Friends of Syria” international gathering a day earlier. Later Saturday, she was due to travel on to the Moroccan capital Rabat.
At a speech at the US embassy in Algiers, she said the people of north Africa’s Maghreb region — Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia — should be able to determine their own future.
“The people of the Maghreb are as talented, creative and hard working as people anywhere in the world,” she said. “They need and deserve to make decisions on behalf of themselves because that is good for the dignity and rights of every individual and it’s good for every society.”
Clinton dined with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika at his palace, together with senior government figures. They were due to discuss Algeria’s approaching parliamentary elections in May, Clinton’s office said.
Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci, who visited Washington last May, had been at the airport to meet Clinton, and the two had also been expected to discuss counter-terrorism, Algerian officials said.
Speaking at the embassy, Clinton said the United States wants to be Algeria’s partner on the road to economic and democratic development.
Fifty years on from independence, “Algeria needs to assume its rightful place as a nation among nations where prosperity, peace and security are available for the people,” she said.
“And the United States wants to be your partner — a partner of your government, of your economy and of your civil society — to see these kinds of positive changes occur.”
Earlier Saturday in Tunisia, Clinton pledged that Washington would help the country rebuild its economy and cement democracy, as the cradle of the Arab Spring struggles to get to trips with the aftermath of the uprising.
“I come with a very specific and committed statement of support about the political and economic reforms that are occurring here,” Clinton said after talks with Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki.
“The political side of the revolution is going quite well,” she said.
“I am a very strong champion for Tunisian democracy and what has been accomplished here…. The challenge is how to ensure the economic development of Tunisia matches the political development.”
Already Friday she had paid tribute to Tunisia’s achievement in leading the Arab Spring. The country’s “brave citizens… continue to set an example for the region and the world,” she said.
Tunisia, where mass protests ousted strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali early last year, inspired similar movements in Egypt, Libya, Syria and elsewhere.
But the authorities in Tunisia, where a moderate Islamist government was voted into power in October, are struggling to deal with unemployment levels of nearly 20 percent and political tensions following the revolution.
Later Saturday, Clinton was due to fly on to the Moroccan capital Rabat for talks with Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane.
One senior US official travelling with Clinton stressed the need for regional cooperation in the fight against extremism.
“Both Morocco and Algeria have been extremely strong partners with us on counter-terrorism,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“But they have not been as strong of partners with each other, and there’s obviously value added if they can work more closely with each other.”
