Biden tasks African leaders on transparent elections

United States President Joe Biden has urged African leaders to do everything possible to entrench transparent, free and fair elections going into 2023 as seven African nations face elections next year.

Biden who held a private meeting at the White House on Wednesday with leaders from Nigeria, Liberia, Madagascar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and Sierra Leone to discuss elections and democracy in Africa as the countries get set for elections in 2023, told the leaders to make sure the elections are transparent.

“I want to be clear that having a meeting about elections in 2023 is not about us raising the alarm bell or claiming we’ve got concerns and then solutions,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said after the meeting which was held on the sideline of the US-African Leaders Summit.

Read also:US President Biden signs gay marriage bill into law

“It’s rather to say: There are important elections coming up, we would like to do everything we can to support those elections being free, fair and credible,” he added.

Also on Wednesday, Biden who spoke at the US-Africa Business Forum, said the US is committed to strengthening democracy on the African continent and vowed to work closely with African nations on a range of issues from climate, food security, and public health.

“Africa’s economic transition depends on good government, healthy populations and reliable and affordable energy,” Biden said.

“The United States is committed to supporting every aspect, every aspect of Africa’s inclusive growth and creating the best possible environment for sustained commercial engagement between African companies and American companies. The United States is all in on Africa’s future.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now