Questions for Ambassador John Price
Submitted by Pamela Glass de St. Antoine, Washington Correspondent, Weekend newspaper
Nov. 1, 2013
1. You arrived in Mauritius as U.S. ambassador in 2002, at a very pivotal time for US-Mauritian relations. It was at the beginning of implementation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the beginning of the war in Iraq and the growth of fundamentalist Islam in Africa and the Indian Ocean region. How did you view your role as ambassador at the time? Were there times when you feared for your own safety?
As U.S. ambassador I was accredited to the Republic of Mauritius, the Republic of Seychelles, and the Union of the Comoros from 2002-2005. These three island nations are linked to the Horn of Africa and East Africa. I quickly learned that they sorely needed U.S. assistance to integrate their economies into the global economy. I thought I could help them advance toward that goal.
These island nations are places of great beauty, each having a different degree of democracy, prosperity, transparency, and political soundness in their government.
Mauritius came from a nineteenth-century mono-crop background, working hard to diversify its economic base from sugar plantations, to beautiful beach resorts, manufacturing high-quality textiles and other products, a world-class offshore banking and financial services sector and a computer and communications technologies sector. In addition Mauritius developed a major hub for fishing fleets, a large fish-processing zone and a new duty-free island concept.
Seychelles had struggled since independence in 1976, and a subsequent Marxist coup, to shed its burden of autocracy. The government-controlled economy has held back the country. Economic growth has come mainly from the tourism and fishery sectors. In the past Seychelles depended upon a plantation economy of cinnamon bark, copra, vanilla, and coconut, which had virtually disappeared.
Comoros, a Sunni Muslim nation, had since independence in 1975 seen constant instability with twenty coups and attempted coups. Democracy took hold in 2002, when the nation held its first free and fair elections for president. The core of the Comorian economy is based on ylang-ylang, vanilla, and cloves, the country’s main agricultural exports. Perfume distillation accounts for a small percentage of the country’s gross domestic product, while the services and hospitality sectors contribute about half of GDP.
Economic development in sub-Saharan Africa is the most important element in the process of democratization--a clear linkage between prosperity and political stability. Eradicating poverty, improving health care, better education, sustainable development, and mentoring small business enterprises will lead to democracy, and counteracting terrorism.
A major concern was that terrorist organizations would find fertile ground for exploitation of the vulnerable people in the island nations--especially in the poorest regions where radical Islamists could feed upon the most impoverished.
Islamic groups regularly held demonstrations at the embassy, often delivering letters expressing strong opposition to Iraqi war and our presence in Diego Garcia. After the 2001anthrax scare in Washington, all embassy mail was to be opened off-premises. One letter slipped through and ended up on my desk. The note inside warned of biological attacks using anthrax and ricin in retaliation for the U.S. involvement in Iraq. On several occasions the embassy also had bomb threats. We took extra security precautions, but never were concerned about our safety.
2. You were also in Mauritius at an historic point in country’s politics, most notably the sharing of power between Paul Berenger as prime minister and Sir Anerood Jugnauth as president. What were your thoughts about this partnership, and what in general do you think about the long-term prospects for democracy and social cohesion in the country?
Mauritius has a long history of democracy, which stems from its not-too- distant past of slavery and indentured servitude. To Mauritians freedom is a precious commodity to be fostered and preserved. The country’s leadership has been chosen consistently on a transparent basis, without political upheaval. Political rallies and opposition marches have generally been peaceful.
With most of the government run by Indo-Mauritians, it was unusual for a Franco-Mauritian to be found at such a high level in the government. Deputy Prime Minister Paul Bérenger came to power as the result of a “marriage of necessity” between two rival political parties, the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM) and the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), which combined their efforts in 2000 to defeat Navin Ramgoolam’s Mauritius Labour Party (MLP).
Under the power sharing agreement Sir Anerood Jugnauth became president and Paul Bérenger prime minister in September 2003. The changeover was a monumental occasion in the history of Mauritius, where the Hindu culture had been predominant in politics since independence. The diversity was good for the country. In July 2005 Navin Ramgoolam was elected under the MLP banner, and reelected in May 2010. I fully expect that Mauritius will continue on its democratic path, with multi-cultural participation in the election and governing process.
3. In your book “When the White House Calls” you repeatedly express concerns about the spread of radical Islam in the Indian Ocean region, especially in the Comoros. What did you view as the biggest threat, and was the United States short-sighted in closing its embassy there?
Our embassies serve as the first line of defense for intelligence gathering information. As such they should remain open as our “eyes and ears”. In addition these missions serve to protect American interests and undertake consular services. I believe the U.S. should have embassy representation in every country that is a member of the United Nations.
Radical Islamists passing through the Indian Ocean region were well-documented. Gaining access to the U.S. through “soft” areas such as island tourist destinations was a concern. The influence of radical Islam in sub-Saharan Africa was also on the rise. The U.S. needed to engage the sub-Saharan African countries more actively, especially where there was a large Muslim population--where destitute people were easily indoctrinated by extremist imams.
There was concern about radical Muslim influence in each of the host countries. In Comoros particularly, there had been an influx of foreign imams. Their radical teachings and recruitment of young people, to study in the Middle East and South Asia, was a major concern. The possibility that the country could become a safe haven for terrorists was foremost on our minds. Seychelles had an influx of a number of young Muslims also who stayed isolated from the rest of the Muslim community and appeared to be well financed.
The Comorian Fazul Abdullah Mohammed and other jihadists had infiltrated the Indian Ocean region in the past, for training and as a sanctuary. Fazul was identified as the mastermind responsible for the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam; also orchestrating suicide attacks and a surface-to- air missile attack. Fazul was implicated in efforts to smuggle and sell “blood diamonds” from the West African country of Sierra Leone, the proceeds of which were believed to have been a major source of funding for the 9/11 attacks.
4. Given its geographic location and cultural diversity, do you consider Mauritius to be vulnerable to radical Islam?
There were demonstrations by groups such as the ZamZam Islamic Movement, Mouvement Solidarité National and Lalit, which were a concern. We found most of the Muslim leaders, however, to be peaceful and friendly. Our government’s objective was to prevent radical Islamists from penetrating more deeply into the fabric of the sub-Saharan African countries.
Congressional Delegations needed to spend more time in the multicultural and multiethnic countries to show that we were not opponents of Islam. Muslim leaders were concerned about our views of Islam, but were just as concerned about the spread of radical Islam throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Our objective was not to allow terrorists to find a safe haven in Mauritius, Seychelles or Comoros.
5. Do you think there has been an improvement in curbing terrorist threats since you left the area in 2005, or has the threat grown worse, still without attention from the United States, as you state was the case while you were there from 2002-2005?
The United States needed to take a greater leadership role in sub-Saharan Africa, so that Islamist extremists do not gain a stronger foothold. The Horn of Africa and East Africa have become the epicenter for terrorist organizations, and more recently the shift has been to West Africa. The concern is that Islamist extremists presence has spread across the Sahel region, stretching from East Africa to West Africa.
Today’s generation of Islamist extremists is as brutal as their predecessors, as we witnessed in the attacks on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya; in Nigeria against secular schools and religious buildings; recently in Nairobi, Kenya at a neighborhood shopping mall. All these brutal attacks were well planned and not spontaneous acts. There is a direct link between al-Qaeda and the Islamist extremists, both in North Africa and the Sahel region.
6. What can the United States do to improve its foreign policy in the region?
The United States cannot afford to turn a blind eye to sub-Saharan Africa. Many members of Congress have a myopic view of this faraway continent, and a limited understanding of its importance to our national security. We need a more consistent foreign policy in this part of the world. We need to engage sub-Saharan Africa in a more meaningful way. If matters are left unchecked some regions of sub-Saharan Africa will continue to deteriorate, as will any remaining quality of life and hope for a brighter future.
In my travels to a number of sub-Saharan African countries I have noticed an erosion of basic health care, primary education, and sustainable development. I have also noticed an increase in radical Islam and negative rhetoric about the United States. Members of Congress need to shake off their ennui and undertake meaningful measures to help create a way forward, with sustainable development programs for otherwise vulnerable people. We need to institute programs charting a course of action well into the future, so that generations of young Africans can have a better life.
The United States, as the most powerful and richest country on earth, needs to take a greater leadership role in sub-Saharan Africa’s future, so that radical Islamists do not gain a stronger foothold. It is my hope that the United States would rather see sub-Saharan African countries export economic products instead of terrorism.
7. While ambassador you received constant questions about the future of the U.S. military base on Diego Garcia, and your response was to support the continued presence of the base there for security reasons. Now that you are no longer representing the U.S. government, what are your thoughts about whether the Chagossians should be allowed to go back to their ancestral home? Do you think this issue will ever be resolved?
In 1965 the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) was established. A formal agreement was signed in 1966 between the United Kingdom and the United States making Diego Garcia available for defense purposes for both countries for fifty years, running through 2016, with an option to extend the agreement until 2036.
Until 1971 the indigenous inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, the Chagossians, made a good living working on copra and coconut plantations. Their ancestors were African slaves and Indian contract workers brought to the archipelago by the French in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Between 1967 and 1973 the British government forced 1,500 to 2,000 Chagossians to relocate so that the island could be turned into a military base. Today approximately 4,500 Chagossian descendants live in Mauritius and Seychelles, while some with British citizenship live in the United Kingdom.
Olivier Bancoult, a Chagossian descendant living in Mauritius, has been pursuing the UK government to allow the Chagossians to return to the outer islands, as well as seeking compensation for the descendants. According to the British government reparations were paid on behalf of the Chagossians to settle any claims regarding their relocation. The Chagossians however claim that most of the money never reached them, nor has there been an accounting.
Once the war with Iraq started the press began to report that clandestine activities were taking place at the military base. There were rumors that CIA “rendition flights” landed in Diego Garcia. Allegations were that the U.S. tortured al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters there. On three occasions I attempted to visit Diego Garcia on a fact finding mission. I cannot validate the veracity of any of the claims.
I understood the U.S. policy regarding the continued use of Diego Garcia, as our most important military base in the Indian Ocean. Without Diego Garcia our country’s security would be at risk. However, I also understood the Chagossians’ plight, and their desire to go back to their ancestral home. They never fully integrated into the Mauritian culture, nor did they have any roots there. Even after forty years most Chagossians still live in abject poverty.
On several occasions on my way to the embassy, I took a route through the Cassis district where a number of Chagossian families lived. With high unemployment, poor health conditions, and limited education opportunities little has changed in their lives. I could see why they wanted to return to the Chagos Archipelago. At least it would feel more like home--eking out a living there would be better than struggling to exist in Mauritius.
The UK has undertaken a study to explore the sustainability of life on the outer islands of Salomon and Peros Banhos, which are 50-100 miles from Diego Garcia. If the Chagossians can survive on these outer low-lying coralline islands with enough culinary water sources, sanitation and garbage disposal facilities--without impacting the environment--then possibly habitation there should be considered.
Subsistence farming and raising of livestock may provide a meager existence, which would be better than their current situation in Mauritius. In addition, since the U.S. military base imports contract workers, hiring the Chagossians would be a humanitarian gesture, as well as an economic benefit for them.
There is no question of the importance of Diego Garcia for our national security interests, especially in today’s struggle with Iran which threatens its neighbors and beyond. If Iran were to develop a nuclear weapons-grade capability, any proposed U.S. air strikes will need to take place without prior conditions. If Iran attempts to close the Strait of Hormuz, our sea and air power will be called upon to react quickly to prevent this from happening. So for the foreseeable future, the United States cannot consider giving up this strategic military base. The Chagossians’ plight, however, will need to be addressed at some point to find a permanent solution.
8. Over the past 10 years since its enactment, U.S. and African leaders have praised AGOA for successfully helping poor countries diversify their economies and participate in global trade. Mauritius has benefited from increased textile trade, but are there other areas of AGOA that the country can take advantage of that are not currently being exploited? And on the flip side, are U.S. companies missing any opportunities in Mauritius?
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), established by Congress in 2000, provided for an increase in trade with the United States by “qualifying” sub-Saharan African countries, able to export more than 6,400 products approved for duty-free access. To qualify under the program, countries needed to show improvements in democracy, rule of law, human rights, transparency and a commitment to work standards that excluded the use of child labor. The program was to help improve people’s standard of living and eventually help move them out of their poverty trap.
The textile industry, one of the main pillars of the Mauritian economy has become very successful in manufacturing products for worldwide consumption, from T‑shirts and jeans to higher-quality knitwear, shirts, children’s wear, linens, uniforms, and other cotton and wool items. Since Mauritius was far from raw material sources, many of the manufacturers developed their own cotton and wool spinning and weaving operations. Some of the larger textile manufacturers had become vertically integrated, beginning with raw material and finishing with a shelf-ready packaged product.
Mauritius, as a successful beneficiary under the AGOA program, was chosen to host the Second AGOA Forum in 2003, the first held outside the United States. The Forum included delegates from the thirty-seven sub-Saharan African qualifying countries. It was a great honor for Mauritius to host this event.
A main topic of concern at the Forum was the renewal of the AGOA program. In a pre-taped video presentation President George W. Bush announced that the AGOA benefits would be extended beyond 2008. A concern for Mauritius was that the U.S. policy on the “third-country” fabric provision affected many of its apparel manufacturers. The sourcing of raw materials from the United States or Africa only had made many of these textile manufacturers uncompetitive.
In 2004 during my consultations in Washington, I spent time attending congressional hearings, and visiting with government leaders and trade officials to see if Mauritius could be included as a Least Developed Country (LDC) beneficiary. I also met with U.S. based companies to give them an overview of the opportunities in Mauritius.
9. What are your thoughts about the long-term viability of AGOA? It was never created to be a permanent U.S. trade program, yet it is continually amended and extended. As beneficiary countries become more established in global trade, should AGOA be phased out? And along these lines, should Mauritius continue to receive special preferences given its high level of development and economic success?
Trade is most important for sub-Saharan Africa, which has fifteen percent of the world’s population, but represents only 2.7% of the total GDP. Five countries in sub-Saharan Africa out of forty-nine, represent 44% of the total GDP. South Africa and Nigeria account for over thirty-three percent of the economic market.
Sub-Saharan Africa, which depends heavily on the textile sector, saw the AGOA beneficiary provisions sunset in September 2012. The provision extensions were delayed for over a year by Congress. As a result apparel orders fell by 35 percent. This cost Africa thousands of jobs, since 95% of the apparel exports went to the United States. I believe the AGOA will continue to benefit sub-Saharan African countries, especially since President Obama promised to expand trade with Africa in his June 2012 initiative.
10. China and India have made big investments in Mauritius, while the influence of the United States has diminished. You discuss this in your book, especially how the State Department had been squeezing the embassy’s staff and funds and reduced its status as a full-fledged mission. What are the consequences of diminished U.S. influence in the region, and are you concerned that the U.S. might one day close its embassy in Port Louis, which covers three island nations – Mauritius, Seychelles and Comoros?
China has been active in every sub-Saharan African country, diligently working for more than fifty years to make friends, and gain access to the natural resources. China is receiving almost 60 percent of Sudan’s oil production, which is the third-largest in sub-Saharan Africa. China also receives oil from Angola, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Liberia, Chad, and Kenya. China receives almost one-third of its oil from African countries.
China has made trade deals with over forty sub-Saharan African countries. China’s economic investment in sub-Saharan Africa has brought it many friends. China’s policy is not to interfere in the internal affairs of the countries, or questioning their stand on democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. The United States, on the other hand, has withdrawn from countries in sub-Saharan Africa because those countries lack democratic institutions, have perceived security concerns, because of congressionally mandated budgetary cutbacks, or because a country has been labeled as a supporter of terrorism and had economic sanctions placed on them.
The United States needs to develop a more consistent foreign policy, improve its diplomatic relations and reestablish economic ties throughout sub-Saharan Africa, or it will be trumped by China, and other countries. President Obama’s June 2012 Strategy to engage sub-Saharan Africa through trade expansion has yet to be implemented. On Mr. Obama’s recent trip he noted that his administration strongly supports efforts to enhance the benefits of AGOA, and encouraged more U.S. companies to take advantage of business opportunities in Africa.
11. You write that during your tenure as ambassador you came to understand that members of Congress had little understanding of sub-Saharan Africa or the real issues in the region. Is this still true today?
To better understand sub-Saharan Africa, members of Congress need to spend more time there. The U.S. leaders need to more actively engage the sub-Saharan African countries, embrace their cultures, and understand the thousands of years of tribal history. Above all the U.S. needs to win back the respect and friendship that it enjoyed for over fifty years.
The United States cannot give up its long-established democratic principles and tenets of freedom. However it should not try to mold every country into our form of democracy, which may not take hold in a tribal society. Above all we need to improve our diplomatic relations, strengthen our economic ties, and establish a consistent foreign policy in sub-Saharan Africa.
12. What do you consider among your biggest accomplishments as ambassador? Do you keep up ties with Mauritius?
In the book “When the White House Calls” I described numerous accomplishments by our embassy. Often I strived to find new trading partners for Mauritians with American companies in the textile sector. In meeting with U.S. government officials on the AGOA third-country fabric provision, I was told Mauritius was too successful. I retorted “it would be a mistake to lose the economic gains this nation had achieved”.
The AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004 (known as AGOA III) did include Mauritius as a beneficiary of the third-country fabric provision. The Africa Investment Incentive Act of 2006 (AGOA IV) did not continue to grant Mauritius LDC beneficiary status. However in 2008, HR 7222 reinstated the benefits to Mauritius.
I made it a point to seek out business operations in Mauritius that might be linked to U.S.-based companies, either through ownership or by franchising their products. Mauritians are hardworking and very resourceful. I enjoyed visiting with distributors, technology companies, accounting firms, soft drink and water bottling executives, a plastic bottle extruder, a cellular telephone operator, food canners, and fast-food franchisees, among others.
Vice President Raouf Bundhun wanted to establish a reading literacy program for school children. He wanted to have a book in every child’s hands. I agreed to bring in as many books as I could find. Our embassy did not have the resources for such a program, so I turned to a Utah faith-based organization that had such a book distribution program. They agreed to send two containers with 25,000 children’s books. They included a number of reference books for the National Library, and 8,000 shoulder bags filled with basic school supplies. The subjects included fiction, nonfiction, American history, and world geography. A second shipment followed with 37,537 books, and 12,600 school supply kits.
Prime Minister Sir Anerood Jugnauth and Prime Minister Paul Berenger had the opportunity to visit the U.S. in 2003, to meet with President George W. Bush at the White House. They also met with Secretary Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Assistant Secretary Walter Kansteiner, Assistant Secretary Jendayi Frazer, Deputy National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, U.S. Trade Representative Bob Zoellick, and Treasury Secretary John W. Snow while in Washington.
A concern was to protect and preserve the fragile Indian Ocean ecosystem. As such our embassy undertook a number of cleanup operations on the precious outer islands, including Ile aux Phare. Embassy staff and family members volunteered on a regular basis. We had support also from the Junior Chamber of Commerce in Curepipe and the Mauritius Coast Guard.
The Tsunami that hit Southeast Asia in December 2004 also devastated some areas in the Seychelles. The guided-missile cruiser USS Hué City, there for a port visit, had crew members contribute more than three hundred hours of labor to clean up some of the damage, removing trees, branches and debris from the beaches and roadways, and clearing a youth soccer field.
In Comoros, lifting the U.S. mandated Section 508 Sanctions was an important milestone, to restart military and economic aid. In 2004 President Azali closed the operations of the Saudi based al-Haramain Foundation, a Muslim charity that also financed terrorist organizations.
Our embassy helped build a computer lab at the University of Comoros, supply microscopes for the biology laboratory, and supplied library books. Over 4,000 students were enrolled by the time I departed in 2005. President Azali governed justly and moved Comoros to the next level, on the road to democracy.
I have visited Mauritius four times to visit friends, and to conduct interviews with current and former government leaders, from the three host countries, for the book “When the White House Calls”. I helped two students raised in Mauritius to enroll at the University of Utah, where they will graduate next year.
The Island Hebrew Congregation is building a Museum at St. Martin Cemetery, where 127 Jewish Detainees were buried during their stay in Beau Bassin Prison. Several Mauritians have spearheaded the campaign to establish this important historical Museum, to which our family foundation will be a donor. I plan to return to Mauritius when the Museum opens.
My wife Marcia and I truly enjoyed living in Mauritius for over three years. The Mauritians we met were kind and most gracious to us. Mauritius has a bright future, and is truly the “Star and Key of the Indian Ocean.”