PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER took the baton to steer the affairs of the United States as its 39th President between 1977 and 1981, but his re-election bid was unsuccessful after he lost to Ronald Reagan. He was the first President of the United States to set foot in Nigeria. He was quite close to Nigeria’s elder statesman, former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Known for his work to promote human rights and democratic development across the globe, Carter died on December 29, 2024.
Born on October 1, 1924, Carter grew up in Plain, Georgia on his family’s peanut farm. Apart from acquiring a former education in the U.S. Naval Academy, he served as a naval officer with a speciality in nuclear submarines. After his father’s death, Carter inherited a comparatively meagre portion of his father’s estate. This was after his father’s debt was settled and the remaining properties were shared by his heirs.
The Explainer looks at the various issues, which shaped his Presidency as well as his position on Nigeria and Africa.
Son of the South: Complicated Position on Race and Civil Rights
Sharpened by his early upbringing in the South, where race relations was a prominent social issue, Carter’s position on civil rights came across as complicated even as this influenced his evolution in becoming a prominent leader advancing progressive positions on such issues.
The Explainer learnt that his inaugural address as the governor of Georgia (1971-1975) paved the way for his advocacy on the issue of racial equality. Then, he declared “the time for racial discrimination is over.”
His stance made him appoint African Americans to key positions in the state which demonstrated his commitment to inclusion and placed him at the odds of conservative leaders.
As President, his approach and emphasis on human rights across all strata and supportive policies for the marginalised communities were aimed at increasing diversity in federal appointments.
ALSO READ: From Zik, Obasanjo To Yakubu, ‘Fake Death’ Purveyors on Loose
The Face Behind Moscow Olympics Boycott
Carter spearheaded a global boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
This made 65 nations refuse to participate in the games, while 80 countries sent athletes to compete, The Explainer found.
Despite being viewed as a protest against aggressiveness, the position infuriated several sportsmen and countries, leading to discussions over the politicisation of sports.
Handling of the Iran Hostage Crisis
One of Jimmy Carter’s most defining moments as president was how he handled the Iran Hostage Crisis. The abduction of American citizens started on November 4, 1979, when 52 American hostages were taken from the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by Iranian extremists.
An attempt to rescue the hostage by Carter’s administration failed and led to more casualties. This dampened his political image and set the path to his re-election loss.
Befriending Controversial Leaders
Although Jimmy Carter’s foreign policies thread on the fine line between promoting human rights and flexing muscles in support of controversial leaders to preserve U.S. strategic interests, The Explainer learnt that the realities of the Cold War compelled him to frequently form alliances with authoritarian governments that supported American geopolitical objectives. This was a contradiction and it betrayed his champion of human rights narrative, which served as the bedrock of his administration.
Carter’s backing of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, is one such example. Carter saw Iran as an important partner in the Middle East that helped balance out Soviet power in the area, despite the Shah’s dictatorial reign and his regime’s history of violating human rights.
Also, he sustained relations with Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines, a tyrant who was accused of suppressing dissent and abusing human rights despite being a strong opponent of communism.
Even though Carter’s administration supported Marcos’ government to maintain military and strategic cooperation in Southeast Asia, he voiced misgivings about Marcos’ conduct.
Relation With North Korea
Even after his administration abruptly ended, Jimmy Carter was dedicated to peacebuilding, The Explainer learnt. One of these instances is when he became instrumental in preventing a crisis in North Korea in 1990.
Amid growing concerns about North Korea’s nuclear weapons development, reports noted that Carter travelled to Pyongyang as a private individual in 1994 and met with Kim Il-sung, the leader of the country.
An Agreed Framework was reached later that year as a consequence of a breakthrough during this visit, where North Korea agreed to stop its nuclear development in exchange for aid and diplomatic engagement.
