Renowned African pro-life leader Obianuju Ekeocha has welcomed a pro-life speech by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “that clearly indicates that the United States of America is now committed to the protection of pro-life values in their foreign policy”. “This is why I am so grateful for Secretary Pompeo’s speech”, Ekeocha told SPUC. “This is very important especially for the many countries and cultures that value and defend human life at every phase and stage of development.”

Speaking at the Family Leadership Summit in Des Moines, Iowa, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo affirmed President Trump’s administration’s “100% pro-life foreign policy”. “America sets the tone for the rest of the world in this respect, and our administration has defended the rights of the unborn like no other administration in history”, he said on 17 July.

Declaring that “abortion quite simply isn’t a human right”, Pompeo reiterated the current U.S. administration’s commitment to push back against international lobbying to make abortion a human right, saying “there is no international right to an abortion”.

Obianuju Ekeocha, founder of Culture of Life Africa , which is dedicated to giving a pro-life voice to Africa’s nations, said:

“The issue of abortion is one that shows a stark difference between western countries and the majority of the African countries, as the western countries have moved, in the last 50 years, to a pro-abortion position whereby it is legal to kill the unborn child. Conversely, most of the African countries have continued to reject the idea of legalized abortion for the obvious reason that abortion is a direct attack on human life and human rights of the unborn.”

Pompeo highlights the Trump administration’s pro-life “stewardship” in foreign policy

In his speech, Mr Pompeo referred to “the call to stewardship that God has placed on us”, and said it is now a key part of U.S. foreign policy to tell “plain truths”, and especially the truth that abortion “takes a life”.

Referring to the reinstatement of the Mexico City Policy under President Trump, Mr Pompeo said: “Not a single dime of American taxpayer money will ever go to a foreign NGO that performs active abortions anywhere in the world."

Obianuju Ekeocho said: “In a world where everything is now viewed through the lens of racial and cultural equality, we applaud the American government’s decision to not fund the killing of the unborn through any of their funding streams as their foreign policy position not only shows profound respect for the right to life of the unborn all over the world but also shows respect and consideration for the deep-rooted pro-life views and values of our developing countries.”

In the same speech, Pompeo also elevated the joint effort between the U.S. and twenty other countries “to deliver a joint statement at the U.N. criticizing pro-abortion language in U.N. documents”.

Welcoming this statement, Obianuju Ekeocha explained: “It has been disheartening to see western donor nations using the advantage of their wealth to push their anti-life position on African nations. They have made efforts to change language surrounding women’s health, they have tried to redefine human life in the womb, they silence pro-life views at international gatherings and they shame dissenting leaders at every opportunity. All these have made it near impossible for developing countries to openly maintain their views on protecting the unborn.”

“The stain of the century”

Mr Pompeo also called out China in his speech for forcing mass abortions and sterilization on Chinese Muslims, which he has referred to more than once as “the stain of the century”. The United States, under President Trump, “appreciates and knows that our rights come from God, not government”, said Mr Pompeo. The U.S. has placed sanctions on Chinese Communist Party officials to underline the “plain truth” that life begins at conception. “This is when life begins, full stop.”