Mar. 25 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1998

25. March, 1998 WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON,YOWERI KAGUTA MUSEVENI, President of the United States of President of the Republic America. of Uganda. DANIEL T. ARAP MOI,PASTEUR BIZIMUNGU, President of the Republic of President of the Republic Kenya. of Rwanda. BENJAMIN WILLIAM MKAPA,LAURENT DESIRE KABILA, President of the United Republic President of the Demo- OTE of Tanzania. cratic Republic of Congo. N : The joint statement was made available by MELES ZENAWI, the Office of the Press Secretary but was not Prime Minister of the Federal issued as a White House press release. An original Democratic Republic of was not available for verification of the content Ethiopia. of this joint statement. Entebbe, Uganda

Remarks at the Entebbe Summit for Peace and Prosperity March 25, 1998

President Museveni, President Moi, Prime America knows from our own experience that Minister Meles, President Bizimungu, President there is no single blueprint for a successful de- Mkapa, President Kabila, Secretary General mocracy. We’re still working in our country to Salim, to our distinguished guests, all. Let me, create what our Founders called a more perfect first of all, thank the representatives of all the Union. We’ve been at it for 222 years now. governments who are here and the leaders who But we also know that while there is no single have come to Entebbe to share a common vision blueprint, freedom nonetheless is a universal as- of a brighter future for this region. piration. Human rights are not bestowed on the We seek to deepen the progress that has been basis of wealth or race, of gender or ethnicity, made and to meet the tough challenges that of culture or region. They are the birthright remain. We came to Entebbe because we share of all men and women everywhere. a commitment to strengthen our cooperation, If we work together to strengthen democracy to build a partnership for the 21st century that and respect human rights, we can help this con- will benefit all our people. We understand, and tinent reach its full potential in the 21st century, the last statement I made at our meeting was, its true greatness, which has too long been de- that these goals will not be met in one meeting nied. We can deepen the ties among our peo- or one day or one year. But we have formed ples. We can be a force for good together, and a solid foundation for progress in the future. all our nations can be proud. Our challenge as we leave Entebbe is to bring Second, we have agreed to work together to to life the commitment in the remarkable docu- build a new economic future where the talents ment we have just signed. of Africa’s people are unleashed, the doors of What is in the document? First, we have opportunity are opened to all, and countries agreed to deepen our efforts to promote democ- move from the margins to the mainstream of racy and respect for human rights, the precious the global economy. We committed to work on soil in which peace and prosperity grow. When finding new strategies to hasten Africa’s global men and women alike are treated with dignity, integration. We pledged to speed the regional when they have a say in decisions that affect cooperation that is already underway, to encour- their lives, societies are better equipped to seize age common standards for openness and the opportunities of the future. anticorruption, to continue to be responsive to We have emphasized the importance of freely the burden of debt. elected, accountable governments, affirmed the A key part of our effort is expanding the vital role of civic organizations in building strong ties of trade and investment between our coun- and vibrant societies, and pledged to uphold hu- tries so that African development and Asian manitarian principles, including the protection growth—and American growth, excuse me, rein- and care of refugees. force one another. We want to reward each

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other for working together. Before I left for thank all the participants for being honest and Africa, I told the American people that it was open in our conversations. America shares a in our interest to help Africa grow and blossom stake in Africa’s success, as I’ve said. If African and reach its full potential. I believe that. nations become stronger, as they surely will, if I want to thank the Members of the United they become more dynamic, as they clearly are, States House of Representatives who are on this we can become even better partners in meeting trip with me for their leadership in the passage our common challenges. Your stability, your se- in the House of the ‘‘African Growth and Op- curity, your prosperity will add to our own. And portunity Act.’’ I am committed to the swift our vitality can and must contribute to yours. passage of that act in the United States Senate I’ve learned a lot here in Entebbe today, lis- and to signing it when I return home. I am tening and remembering. The lessons I have very pleased that our Overseas Private Invest- learned on this trip I will carry back to Wash- ment Corporation will be targeting half a billion ington, as I’m sure the rest of our delegation dollars for infrastructure investment in sub-Saha- will. We’ve agreed to build on this summit with ran Africa. regular, high-level meetings. We will look for Third, we have agreed to work together to results of our efforts not only in statements like banish genocide from this region and this con- this one today, with very high visibility, but in tinent. Every African child has the right to grow quiet places far from the halls of government, up in safety and peace. We condemn the per- in communities and households all across our petrators of the continued atrocities in Rwanda countries, where ordinary men and women strive and pledge to work together to end the horrors each day to build strong families, to find good of this region. That means reviving the U.N. jobs, to pass on better lives for their children. Arms Flow Commission; acting on the rec- They are the reason we are here. And it is ommendations of the OAU study on the Rwan- because of them that we all leave Entebbe de- dan genocide and its aftermath; encouraging ac- termined to put our partnership into practice, celerated progress in bringing criminals against to make our dreams and ideals real. humanity to justice; denying safe havens or serv- Thank you very much. ices to extremist organizations; and developing durable justice systems that are credible, impar- NOTE: The President spoke at 7:15 p.m. at the tial, and effective. Our efforts come too late Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel. In his remarks, for yesterday’s victims. They must be in time he referred to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to prevent tomorrow’s victims. of Uganda; President Daniel T. arap Moi of Here today—and this is very important—we Kenya; Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia; have pledged to find new ways to work together President Pasteur Bizimungu of Rwanda; Presi- to solve conflicts before they explode into crises dent Benjamin William Mkapa of Tanzania; Presi- and to act to stop them more quickly when dent Laurent Desire Kabila of the Democratic they do. Republic of Congo; and Secretary General Salim We have pursued our discussion in a spirit Ahmed Salim of the Organization of African of candor and mutual respect, and I want to Unity.

Remarks During a Visit to the Victoria Mxenge Housing Project in Cape Town, South Africa March 26, 1998

The President. Thank you very much. Madam said, ‘‘You will not believe this housing project Mayor, Patricia, thank you all for making us I visited. These women are building their own feel so welcome. houses. They’re saving their own money. They’re I really didn’t have a choice about coming moving out of shacks and shanty villages into here because my wife said to me when she nice neighborhoods with good houses and a got home one year ago from South Africa, she

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