The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), established by the US in 2000, offers duty-free access to more than 1,800 products for eligible sub-Saharan African countries. However, recent developments have led to the suspension of four African nations, including Uganda, from the AGOA program. This move comes in response to concerns about human rights violations and a lack of progress in democratic governance within these countries.
In a communication addressed to the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate, US President Joe Biden outlined the decision to remove Uganda, along with the Central African Republic, Gabon, and Niger, from the list of AGOA beneficiaries. The primary reason cited was the failure of these governments to meet the eligibility requirements, particularly in terms of respecting human rights and promoting democratic principles.
President Biden expressed deep concern over the involvement of the four African countries in what he termed as “gross violations” of human rights or a lack of progress towards establishing democratic rule. Of particular note were the military coups in Niger and Gabon earlier in the year, leading to their ineligibility for AGOA. The US government maintained that these nations had not demonstrated sufficient commitment to protecting political pluralism and the rule of law.
Specifically addressing the case of Uganda, President Biden pointed out that the Ugandan government has engaged in gross violations of internationally recognized human rights. The US government has consistently raised concerns about Uganda’s non-compliance with AGOA eligibility criteria, and the decision to suspend Uganda from the program reflects the failure to address these concerns adequately.
The US government’s stance on the Central African Republic was clear, citing gross violations of internationally recognized human rights and a lack of progress in establishing protections for worker rights, the rule of law, and political pluralism. Meanwhile, the decisions regarding Niger and Gabon were based on their failure to make continual progress toward ensuring the protection of political pluralism and the rule of law.
