Obama tells Africans to build democracy, create jobs to thrive

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Barack Obama told African nations on Tuesday they needed to respect democratic rules and create jobs to avoid a slide into disorder. In the first speech by a serving U.S. president to the 54-nation African Union, he said violence unleashed in Burundi by the president’s bid for a third term in office showed the risks of ignoring constitutional rules. “Africa is on the move, and a new Africa is emerging,” he said at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, adding the continent’s rapid economic growth was changing “old stereotypes” of a continent of war and poverty.  But he said there was an “urgent task” facing a continent whose 1 billion people will double in a few decades.   “Africa will need to generate millions more jobs than it is doing now,” he said. “We need only look to the Middle East and North Africa to see that large numbers of young people with no jobs and stifled voices can fuel instability and disorder.”  “Africa’s progress will also depend on democracy,” he said, adding that jailing journalists or restricting legitimate opposition groups led to “democracy in name, but not in substance”.  Obama said leaders should stick to the rules and the African Union should put pressure on leaders to stick to limits.

READ MORE:   reuters.com

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