MEDIA ADVISORY US-Africa Leaders Summit: Advocates Call on President Obama and Congress To Cease Support for African Strongmen "Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions"  President Obama in Ghana, July 11, 2009 What: A diverse U.S. based activist coalition focusing on Africa is calling on U.S. leaders to cease their support and empowerment of brutal dictators across Africa. The Coalition will host a press conference on Thursday, July 31st ahead of the first ever U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit to take place in Washington, DC in early August. The Coalition will focus on U.S. support for strongmen in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The people of these countries have been caught in a dictatorial death trap since the Clinton Administration that has resulted in millions dead due to wars of aggression and internal repression. The U.S. has dubbed these tyrannical strongmen, a "new breed" of "Renaissance" leaders of Africa in spite of the havoc they have wreaked on the African continent. Other heads of state from Ethiopia, Egypt and elsewhere on the continent will also be addressed during the press conference.  A special focus will be placed on heads of state who are seeking to change their constitutions to remove term limits so they can remain in power in perpetuity. Paul Rusesabagina (who performed Raul Wallenberg-type heroics during the 1994 Rwandan genocide and whose story has been captured in the movie "Hotel Rwanda") is expected to lead the appeal in calling for an end to the support the U.S. provides to these African strongmen. Other expected speakers include: Congolese human rights activist Nita Evele; genocide survivor Claude Gatebuke; and Ugandan Publisher Milton Allimadi. Shaka Ssali, Host of "Straight Talk Africa and Managing Editor, VOA TV will moderate the discussion. When: Thursday, July 31, 2014; 2:00 PM through 4:00 PM Where: National Press Club, 529 Fourteenth St, NW, Washington DC 20045 Contacts: Maurice Carney, 202-584-6512 or info@friendsofthecongo.org Netfa Freeman, 202-787-5229 or netfa@ips-dc.org Organizers: Coalition members include: African Great Lakes Action Network (AGLAN); Don't Be Blind This Time; Foreign Policy in Focus; Friends of the Congo (FOTC); Hope Congo (HC); Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation (HRRF); Mobilization for Justice and Peace in Congo (MJPC) and la Fédération Internationale des Droits de l'Homme (FIDH) Support  the work of Friends of the Congo. Join the global movement in support of the Congo. Participate  in the Dear John Postcard Campaign. Participate  in Congo Week VII, October 19 - 25, 2014. Keep abreast of the latest updates via Twitter @congofriends.