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IFES Regional Director Testifies on Capitol Hill on Democracy in Africa

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Testimony before House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health will include policy recommendations

Washington, DC – Almami Cyllah, IFES Regional Director for Africa, will testify before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health today at 3:30 p.m EST. He will be speaking about the overall state of democracy in Africa and the role of U.S. policy on the continent’s democratic evolution.

This opportunity comes at an important time as more than 20 African countries will be holding elections this year. Mr. Cyllah, a native of Sierra Leone, will give insight into the democratic standing of the countries facing elections in the near future and where they seem to be heading.

The Regional Director, who has been working on African affairs for over twenty years, will draw on Africa's history with elections to highlight what has worked in the past and how the continent can improve its democratic efforts. Mr. Cyllah will also give recommendations on what the international community can do to help foster legitimate and valid elections in Africa so that the habit of transferring power peacefully through the ballot is cemented.

The Honorable Johnnie Carson, assistant secretary for the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs; Mr. Earl Gast, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Africa, U.S. Agency for International Development; and the Honorable Princeton N. Lyman, a former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa and Nigeria and now adjunct senior fellow for Africa Policy Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, will be among the other witnesses.

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The International Foundation for Electoral Systems is an independent, non ‐ governmental organization providing professional support to electoral democracy. Through field work, applied research and advocacy, we strive to promote citizen participation, transparency, and accountability in political life and civil society.