The ALN General Assembly held in Kinshasa, DRC, notes with concern and disappointment the on-going civil war in Somalia which has affected peace, security and stability in the Horn of Africa, and international borders.
ALN calls upon the African Union and the International Community to take appropriate measures to stop the cruel actions of al-Shaabab in particular, and other terror groups.

ALN hails Independence of South Sudan
Following the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of South Sudan on 9th July 2011, the Africa Liberal Network (ALN) hereby adopts a resolution hailing the great achievement by the people of South Sudan and recognizes South Sudan as a new independent state in Africa and the 193rd United Nations’ member state.
As the Network has been following the occurrence of events in South Sudan and in Sudan as a whole since the ratification of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Kenya on 9th January 2005, ALN concluded that the people of South Sudan went through all the democratic processes to reach their independence three months ago.
The ALN also welcomes the democratic moves by north Sudan to respect the decision of the people of South Sudan who chose to form their own nation.
The ALN has learnt that north Sudan closed all its borders with South Sudan after the Declaration of South Sudan as an Independent State. The ALN condemns that action also urges the two countries to repair and maintain their relations, diplomatically, socially and politically. Both Sudan and South Sudan should apply soft borders and avoid restricting the movements of their citizens to allow the free conduct of both small scale and large scale businesses across the borders.
As a country which remains underdeveloped in Africa, ALN calls on all the interested partners to consider particular activities that can contribute to the building and development of South Sudan.

ALN notes with concern the political harassment and the brutality by the Government of Uganda, of the opposition political parties.
The continued arrest and detention of citizens, as documented in recent reports by Human Rights Watch entitled, ‘Disclose Evidence Against Human Rights Defender’, ‘Charge or Release Detained Journalist’, and ‘End Trials of Civilians in Military Courts’.
As well as denying citizens the right of assembly and freedom of expression contravenes the International Declaration of Human Rights.
ALN, therefore, calls upon the Government of Uganda to respect human rights and the rule of law.

The Africa Liberal Network (ALN), meeting in Kinshasa, DRC from 20-24 October 2011, expresses concern about the deteriorating political situation in the Seychelles, and condemns the dissolution of the National Assembly by the Seychelles Government.
The ALN calls on the Government to engage all political parties and other stakeholders in negotiation to review all electoral and others related legislation, and to hold free and fair elections within one year.

The Rassemblement des Républicains of Cote d’Ivoire expresses its thanks to the Africa Liberal Network and its partners for the training which they provided ahead of the Presidential elections of October 2011, their support and encouragement between the two rounds, and the lobbying and advocacy following the post-electoral crisis which followed.
All of these actions contributed to the final victory of the liberal candidate, Alassane Ouattara, who is now Head of State in Cote d’Ivoire

The Africa Liberal Network General Assembly, meeting in Kinshasa from 20-24 October 2011, following numerous meetings with their members and other local and international political figures, has come to the following conclusions on the electoral process in the Democratic Republic of Congo:
– Taking into account the absence of a census;
– Taking into account the revision of the constitution, amending the format of the presidential election;
– Taking into account the delay in different steps relating to the electoral process, notably registration, publication of electoral lists including the parliamentary candidates, which have been detrimental to the electoral process and resulted in delays as publicised by the CENI;
– Taking into account the concerns about the security of elections, candidates and voters and the presence of uncontrolled foreign armed groups on Congolese soil
Given the above, the ALN recommends that all partners and all political and social forces involved in the electoral process in the DRC initiate a dialogue that can ensure a credible election, held in a peaceful environment and a stable post-election period.
Invites the authorities and all political actors to be part of a peace process, and particularly government authorities to guarantee the security of the electoral process and the Congolese people.

The Africa Liberal Network has followed with close attention the socio-political situation in Senegal, centred around the debate on the proposed constitutional amendment creating “a presidential ticket (President and Vice-President) and the introduction of quarter threshold, which would lead to the election of the President of the Republic with only 25% of the vote.”
In this serious crisis, Dr Mamadou Lamine Bâ, Minister in the Office of the President of the Republic resposible for International and Humanitarian Affairs, additionally President of the Africa Liberal Network and Vice-President of Liberal International, did not hesitate to take a stand and opposed the implementation of this controversial project.
Soon afterwards, Dr Mamadou Lamine Bâ was removed from his ministerial duties.
The Africa Liberal Network:
– Welcomes the reconsideration of President Wade, who finally withdrew the controversial bill in Senegal to avoid a break with the democratic values which his Senegalese Democratic Party, member of the Africa Liberal Network and of Liberal International, has contributed to Africa.
– Request President Abdoulaye Wade to be lenient and understanding of
Dr Mamadou Lamine Bâ who treasures dearly liberal values such as freedom of expression, and who could not ignore the principles of liberalism which he has always promoted in international organizations where he represents the PDS
– Wishes that Senegal, under the leadership of its member party, the PDS, preserve at all costs the democracy which has enabled the country to avoid the dramatic conflicts which have unfortunately blighted several countries in the subregion, delaying their path to sustainable development.
Abidjan, 18 July 2011
For the ALN, Vice President
Responsible for West Africa
Ms. KABA FOFANA

We, the representatives of African liberal parties, assembled in Johannesburg, South Africa, reaffirm our strong support for the Democratic Alliance (DA) ahead of municipal elections due on 18 May.
We stress our belief in the progressive policies espoused by the DA, as outlined in their Local Government Manifesto, and for their vision of an Open, Opportunity Society, for All. We commend the DA’s continued commitment to improving service delivery, and to delivering for all South Africans, regardless of race, creed, class, or political beliefs.
During our visit to Cape Town in November 2010, we witnessed first-hand the improvements which the DA had made to the City and to Western Cape Province. We met with the party’s local MPs, Provincial Ministers and Councillors, and praised their efficiency, sound financial management, and tough stance on corruption. Since arriving in Johannesburg, we have been once again been impressed by the DA’s campaign for better local governance and service delivery for all South Africans. As liberals, we commend their pro-market approach to alleviating poverty and reducing crime by increasing job opportunities and growing the economy.
Having seen the difference a DA administration can make to improving housing, transport and healthcare, and the party’s commitment to creating economic opportunities while ensuring clean and transparent government; we call on South Africans to vote DA in the municipal elections on 18 May. The Democratic Alliance will not take your vote for granted, and their Mayors and Councillors are committed to improving local conditions for all South Africans.
We eagerly await the result of the elections, and hope that the South African people will give the DA the chance to govern more cities, such as Pretoria, the seat of national government, paving the way for a provincial and national challenge to the ANC in 2014.
Johannesburg, 9 May 2011

We, the representatives of African liberal parties, assembled in Johannesburg, South Africa, affirm our strong support for the Seychelles National Party (SNP) and its Presidential candidate Mr Wavel Ramkalawan MNA.
We call on the people of Seychelles to take note of the liberal democratic principles espoused by the SNP as documented in their manifesto, ‘Ansanm pour en meyer lavi: A better life for all Seychellois’. The Africa Liberal Network fully supports the SNP’s campaign to reunite the people of Seychelles and eliminate the discrimination which has characterised the past 34 years of rule by the SPPF-Parti Lepep. We welcome the SNP’s social liberal policies for revising income tax, bringing down the cost of living, and improving standards in healthcare and education. We further welcome the emphasis on strong leadership, a civil service free of politics, and building effective national institutions.
The ALN commends Mr Wavel Ramkalawan, a former Anglican priest and well-respected civic activist, for having received in excess of 45% of the popular vote in previous elections, and we hope that this will be the time when he is finally able to sweep to victory and win the Presidency on 21 May 2011. We welcomed the challenge laid down by Ramkalawan for incumbent President, Mr James Michel, to hold a televised debate, noting that this is a normal part of the political process in the democratic world; however, we were disappointed when this was rejected.
The ALN calls on the Seychelles Electoral Commission to ensure open and transparent polls in which the SNP is able to campaign freely in public. In order to ensure a level playing field, we urge the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation to allow equal coverage to both sides during the campaign. We support the Commonwealth Observer Mission in their important work and call on them to document any violations of electoral law, human rights, or media freedom, in their final report.
Finally, we call on the incumbent Parti Lepep to respond to accusations that their campaigners in Bel Air have used money to influence the outcome of the election, a practice which the Africa Liberal Network condemns in the strongest terms.
Johannesburg, 9 May 2011