FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 30, 1999

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Russ Feingold announced today that he and United States Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke will travel together to Africa between December 1-13, 1999. Feingold, the ranking member of the African Affairs Subcommittee of the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will conduct his portion of the trip under the auspices of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Ambassador Holbrooke will pursue a Presidential mission.

They will be accompanied by representatives of the U.S. Department of State on the ten country trip. Feingold's wife, Mary Feingold, and his staff member who handles foreign relations, Michelle Gavin, will also be traveling with the Senator. The group will visit ten countries in the twelve day trip to Africa: Mali, Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Rwanda, Uganda, Congo, and Tunisia.

"This is a tremendous opportunity to focus on many issues I have been working on for seven years as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Subcommittee on African Affairs," said Feingold.

In several of the countries the delegation is visiting, the focus will be the crisis in the Congo. "The war in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been devastating and destabilizing for the entire central African region," said Feingold. "I want to learn more about the prospects for peace in the region as well as issues of accountability for human rights abuses," Feingold said. Feingold participated in an African Affairs Subcommittee hearing on the Central African Wars and the Future of U.S. Policy in June of 1999.

In addition, Feingold said that he will pursue a number of other priorities for U.S. engagement in Africa. "I will spend much of the trip learning more about efforts to achieve peace and security in Africa, and about democratization in African countries like Mali, South Africa, and Namibia, which is about to hold elections. I also want to continue my work focusing on corruption in Africa, which casts a dark shadow on the investment climate throughout the continent. Public health issues like the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa also rank high on my agenda," Feingold said.

Feingold sponsored the HOPE for Africa Bill to expand trade between Africa and the United States. That measure contained provisions to promote the economic ties between the U.S. and Africa and addressed the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa. The Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) recently passed both the House and Senate but Feingold voted against the AGOA bill because it provided only minimal benefits to selected African countries. "Among other problems, AGOA did virtually nothing to address one of the greatest burdens in Africa--the HIV/AIDS crisis," Feingold said.

Feingold said many in Wisconsin have mentioned their interest in Africa and its relationship with the United States. "I have heard substantial interest from Wisconsinites about strengthening ties between the United States and the African nations. In light of my concerns about AGOA, I want to work to build a genuine economic and political relationship with these important African countries," Feingold said.