"The United States on Wednesday hailed the African Union's contribution to democracy as it sought to build ties with the regional body in talks in Washington. Group members "made a clear decision that the AU would not be a club for generals and dictators," Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Jack Lew said as he opened the three-day dialogue ... Lew lauded the African Union as "an essential institution for defending our common principles of democracy and governance."" (Quoted from article)