Political stability, democracy and human rights in Africa

Although Brazil does not engage in explicit democracy promotion, some of its initiatives and positions actively encourage democracy in Africa. In IBSA, Brazil, together with India and South Africa, has stressed members’ identities as “vibrant democracies” that also seek the democratization of the international system, especially through multilateral institutions. IBSA’s founding document, the 2003 Brasília Declaration, prioritise policies that, among other goals, promote human rights and an end to all forms of racial discrimination. However, IBSA’s efforts in terms of democracy and human rights promotion remain timid, with the grouping focusing on development cooperation initiatives.

As for Brazil’s bilateral efforts, they have been limited and confined to assisting in implementing elections, specifically electronic voting. In December 2005 and July 2006, for instance, Brazil sent observers to the elections in the DR Congo, while an electoral judge was sent in April 2006 to provide training to Congolese officials. Brazil has also donated 2,950 ballot boxes and hosted Congolese electoral authorities (Senado Federal, 2011a, 215). In Guinea-Bissau, support for elections has been

66 MRE (2013) "Promovendo saúde reprodutiva no leste da África: UNFPA e Brasil" August 16, 2013. Available at:

cooperacaohumanitaria.itamaraty.gov.br/pt/noticias/41-promovendo-a-saude-reprodutiva-e-combatendo-violencia-de-genero-no-leste-da-africa-unfpa-e-brasil [ Promoting reproductive health in east Africa: UNFPA and Brazil]

67 G1 (2011) "Tanzânia prende 7 piratas após ataque a navio da Petrobras"October 4, 2011. Available at:

g1.globo.com/mundo/noticia/2011/10/tanzania-prende-7-piratas-apos-ataque-navio-da-petrobras.html [ Tanzania arrests seven pirates after attack on Petrobrás ship]

68 The statement by the Brazilian representative, as well as the other statements by Council members regarding resolution 1973 are from S/PV.6498. March 17, 2011.

69 Statement by Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, The situation in Libya, 17 March 2011.

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coupled with support to democratization as a precondition for stability, but elsewhere in Africa these efforts seem to be disconnected from a more comprehensive approach to stabilization.

In addition, Brazil has been promoting electronic voting system and equipment, drawing on lessons from the 1990s in expanding voting by handicapped and illiterate citizens. Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (SEC) has emerged as preeminent actor in electronic voting cooperation. Although cooperation programmes are coordinated through the Brazilian Cooperation Agency, which is part of the Ministry of External Relations, the Court has developed significant expertise and there is a potential for additional cooperative initiatives. Through this programme, Brazil has helped several African countries with their electronic voting systems, including Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, Tunisia, and Guinea-Bissau.

Cooperation with Africa on electronic voting has also taken place though events and training sessions held in Brazil. Brazil sent observers to national elections in the Sudan in April 2010 and also in January 2011 for the referendum about the status of South Sudan⁷⁰. In September 2012, a delegation of Sudanese lawyers that had been selected by the Sudanese Bar Association visited Brazil to get to know how the Brazilian legal system works.

The promotion of Brazilian electronic voting is also carried out through multilateral channels. On October 3, 2011, authorities of electoral courts from Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, East Timor, and Portugal signed the “Carta de Brasília”, which reaffirmed the states' common "commitment to democracy and their confidence in the free, just democratic process based on the norms established through their legal systems and universally accepted human rights."

Through the agreement, those countries also expressed their intent to improve the management and administration of their electoral systems in order to strengthen democratic institutions. This included cooperation programmes covering civic education, capacity building for judges and electoral officials, media coverage for elections, electoral legislation, guaranteeing accountability of political parties, and electronic voting. By assisting African states with capacity building, Brazil hopes to enhance stability and nudge them in the direction of democracy or good governance, without resorting to forceful or excessively abrupt regime changes.

Brazilian civil society organizations have also played a role within these debates, though not always aligned with the government position. For instance, NGOs in Brazil joined their Portuguese counterparts in opposing the proposed inclusion of Equatorial Guinea as a member of CPLP, because of the country’s democracy and human rights credentials (Equatorial Guinea was admitted in 2006 as Associate Observer). In response, the Brazilian government argued that bringing Equatorial Guinea closer to CPLP could contribute to democracy and human rights in that country. These arguments are based on the presumption that democratization, however cautiously induced, can contribute to political stability and peacebuilding. The Brazilian government makes a similar argument when it cancels or renegotiates debt by African nations, stressing that these measures demonstrate a willingness to invest in African countries and signal an important commitment to these partners.

Brazil has also taken illustrative positions on specific democracy issues, as in the case of Mauritania.

In October 2007 the Brazilian government decided to open an embassy in Mauritania; however, due to the political crisis in the country and the coup in August 2008, the opening was postponed. Brazil supported the AU’s decision to suspend Mauritania and decided to only reinstate diplomatic relations

70 "Referendo sobre o status do Sul do Sudão" 8 de janeiro de 2011, Resenha de Política Exterior do Brasil, n 108, 1 semestre de 2011, p 71.

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after the presidential elections in July 2009, when the AU lifted the suspension (Senado Federal, 2011b, p. 32).

In other instances, Brazil has used its political voice to encourage national reconciliation and peacebuilding. After the 2007 post-election violence in Kenya, Brazil expressed its concern and called on all Kenyan political actors to participate in a national reconciliation effort. Similarly, when the president of Niger, Mamadou Tandja, was overthrown in a military coup in February 2010, Brazil jointed the AU and ECOWAS in condemning the coup (Barreto, 2012, p. 267). In 2011, Brazil congratulated the Moroccan people for participating in legislative elections, praising the participation of women and young people as a symbol of the democratic consolidation in the country⁷¹. These initiatives illustrate Brazil’s willingness to publicly associate itself with measures that signal a strengthening of democracy.

Brazil's support for regional initiatives aimed at stability and rule of law have also become a key part of its positions on African security crises. After the March 2012 coup in Mali, Brazil supported AU’s efforts in restoring constitutional order in the country, asking for dialogue, moderation, and a rejection of the use of force⁷². Brazil also expressed its support for ECOWAS’ mediation efforts⁷³.

Brazil’s Foreign Minister visited Egypt in early May 2011 to discuss the possibility of cooperation and restart political dialogue with the new Egyptian authorities. Given Egypt's economic importance to Brazil-- it is Brazil's third largest commercial partner in Africa, and the main destination of Brazilian exports to the continent⁷⁴-- this visit illustrated the political importance of Egypt to Brazil. The visit also reflected the Brazilian government's desire to preserve the commercial relationship that existed before the change in the Egyptian political regime. However, after the removal of Mohamed Morsi⁷⁵ from power by the military, the implementation of these new cooperation initiatives was delayed.

Brazil's engagement with the "Arab Spring" countries has also been extended to Tunisia. In April 2012, former Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota visited Tunis to affirm Brazil’s support for the democratic transition process in the country.

The next section of this article a case study: Brazil's relations with Guinea-Bissau. Although the specificities of the case mean that conclusions cannot be generalized to the rest of Brazil's engagement with African security issues, this case illustrates how Brazil's broader positions on security and development issues have been translated into specific actions.

71 “Eleições no Marrocos” 29 de novembro de 2011, Resenha de Política Exterior do Brasil, n 109, 2º semestre de 2011, p 271.

72 “Sublevação militar no Mali” 22 de março de 2012. Resenha de Política Exterior do Brasil, n 110, 1º semestre de 2012, p 101.

73 “Situação no Mali” 05 de abril de 2012, Resenha de Política Exterior do Brasil, n 110 , 1º semestre de 2012, p 119.

74 Visita do Ministro Antonio de Aguiar Patriota ao Egito-Cairo-7 a 8 de maio de 2011” 6 de maio de 2011, Resenha de Política Exterior do Brasil, 1º semestre de 2011, p 181-182.

75 In May 2013, former President Morsi became the first Egyptian head of state to visit Brazil.

Source: www.itamaraty.gov.br/sala-de-imprensa/notas-a-imprensa/visita-de-estado-ao-brasil-do-presidente-da-republica-arabe-do-egito-mohamed-morsi-brasilia-e-sao-paulo-8-e-9-de-maio-de-2013

CMI REPORT Brazil and African Security R 2014: 4