Uganda has been named among four African countries that are set to be removed from the list of the beneficiaries of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) over failure of their governments to observe human rights and failure to make progress in democratic rule.
The US introduced the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in 2000.It gives eligible sub-Saharan African countries duty-free access to the US for more than 1,800 products.
In a letter to the Speaker of the House and president of Senate, US President, Joe Biden has said Uganda together with Central African Republic (CAR), Gabon, and Niger will no longer be beneficiaries of AGOA for failure to meet eligibility requirements, especially those concerning observing human rights and democracy.
Biden noted with concern that the four African countries were either involved in “gross violations” of human rights or not making progress towards democratic rule.
President Biden said that Niger and Gabon – both of which are currently under military rule following coups this year – are ineligible for AGOA because they “have not established or are not making continual progress toward establishing the protection of political pluralism and the rule of law”.
He also said that the removal of the CAR and Uganda from the programme was due to “gross violations of internationally recognised human rights” by their governments.
“Finally, the Government of Uganda has engaged in gross violations of internationally recognized human rights. Gabon, Niger, and Uganda, these countries have failed to address United States concerns about their non- compliance with the AGOA eligibility criteria,” he explained.
The US government was specific that the Government of the Central African Republic has engaged in gross violations of internationally recognized human rights and has not established, or is not making continual progress toward establishing, the protection of internationally recognized worker rights, the rule of law, and political pluralism.
Biden noted that Niger and the Government of Gabon have not established, or are not making continual progress towards establishing, the protection of political pluralism and the rule of law.