PRESS ADVISORY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MAY 23, 2005 FORMER AFRICAN HEADS OF STATE MEET TO ADDRESS PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP IN AFRICA Participants Announced for Historic Meeting in Bamako, Mali, June 5-8 WASHINGTON DC—Twenty former African Heads of State will attend a June 5-8 symposium to discuss political and economic challenges in Africa and share experiences on humanitarian and democratization efforts across the continent. The symposium, called the African Statesmen Initiative (ASI), will be held in Bamako, Mali. Confirmed participants to date include: Nicéphore Soglo (Benin) Ketumile Masire (Botswana) Antonio Mascarenhas Monteiro (Cape Verde) Ar�stides Maria Pereira (Cape Verde) Dauda Kairaba Jawara (The Gambia) Jerry Rawlings (Ghana) Malam Bacai Sanhá (Guinea-Bissau) Amos Sawyer (Liberia) Albert Zafy (Madagascar) Karl Auguste Offmann (Mauritius) Mahamane Ousmane (Niger) Alhaji Shehu Shagari (Nigeria) Abdulsalami Abubakar (Nigeria) Yakubu Gowon (Nigeria) Manuel Pinto da Costa (Sao Tome and Principe) Miguel Trovoada (Sao Tome and Principe) Ali Hassan Mwinyi (Tanzania) Joaquim Chissano (Mozambique) Sam Nujoma (Namibia) Kenneth Kaunda (Zambia) The goals of ASI are to encourage former Heads of State and Government to continue to play a constructive role in democratization efforts on the continent, and to provide a forum for these leaders to share experiences on initiatives on democratization and other challenges that they have undertaken since leaving office. Over the course of the three day symposium, participants will be joined by Club of Madrid members Kim Campbell (former Prime Minister of Canada), Antonio Guterres Oliveira (former Prime Minister of Portugal), Petre Roman (former Prime Minister of Romania) and Al Sadig Al�Mahdi (former Prime Minister of Sudan). International experts will also be attending, including Jeffrey Sachs (Earth Institute, Columbia University), Awa Marie Coll-Seck (World Health Organization), Carlton W. Fulford, Jr. (Africa Center for Strategic Studies), Charles R. Stith (Africa Presidential Archives and Research Center), Bernard Kouchner (founder of M�decins Sans Frontières) and Abdoulie Janneh (United Nations Development Programme). They will discuss topics such as security, conflict management, economic development, health challenges, elections, democratic governance, parliaments and civil society. Media are invited to attend ASI plenary sessions. Press credentials and more information can be obtained by contacting the ASI press office below or by visiting the website at www.ndi.org. CONTACT: Jean Freedberg (English) + (1) 202.728.5527 [email protected] Walarigaton Coulibaly (Français) + (1) 202.728.5616 [email protected] Grant Godfrey (Português) + (1) 202.728.5546 [email protected]