Following is an article that I wrote in fall of 2009. It gives some good background to current U.S. involvement in Africa.
U.S. Policy in Africa: A New Beginning?
Sept. 18, 2009
By Brent McMillan
The Center for American Progress recently hosted a conversation with Ambassador Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs in Washington DC.
The Obama administration has made Africa a priority in U.S. foreign policy. With the recent trips and speeches by both President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, they have emphasized that progress in Africa requires partnerships built on shared responsibility. The meeting was an important discussion regarding Africa and yet, where was the major media?
Opening remarks were delivered by Rudy de Leon, Vice President for National Security, Center for American Progress. He spoke about the 3D approach, Diplomacy, Defense and Development. He then introduced the Ambassador.
Ambassador Johnnie Carson spent his entire professional life working on and in Africa. It has been four months since he became Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. With respect to the Africa Bureau in the Department of State the Ambassador shapes and guides policy. The Ambassador emphasized President Obamas commitment to Africa. He accompanied Secretary Clinton on the seven country, eleven day trip through Africa in August of this year.
There is a UN General Assembly meeting next week. President Obama will be hosting a meeting of the leadership of the African nations. Theyre paying attention to the uneven preservation of the earths resources in regards to African nations. Its people are disenfranchised by poor government, poor infrastructure and a harsh environment in which to survive. So far so good.
Policies will emphasis mutual responsibility. How can we build partnerships so that we can transform and reduce the need for support over time? There are five areas of focus:
1) Partnerships to strengthen democratic institutions.
2) Work for sustained economic development and growth over time.
In regard to agriculture, what they mean by development is a Green Revolution, not unlike what we saw in Latin America 20 to 30 years ago. This is a petroleum based model. Fertilizers and pesticides that are petroleum based, big tractors, etc. As we move further into Peak Oil this will lead to an even greater crisis. Look to what happened to Cuba during the special period to understand how devastating this dependence can be. Cuba probably bought into the Green Revolution more than any other country in Latin America.
3) Maintain a historical focus on health issues, particularly public health.
The US has little credibility on this topic. With the influence of the health insurance industry and pharmaceutical industry we have a broken delivery system. The for profit health-care delivery system in this country has been a disaster. Is this the model that we will be promoting?
Ambassador Carson elaborated that this includes the commitment to carry on HIV programs.
4) Continue to work with the International Community to resolve interstate conflicts and disputes such as Sudan, Somalia and East Congo.
5) The Twenty-first century has brought new transnational challenges to Africa narco-trafficing, climate change, exploitation of resources, etc.
It is clear that the peoples that have had the least to do with causing Climate Change are suffering the most as a result of it. Read: The Anatomy of a Silent Crises a human impact report on Climate Change put out by the Global Humanitarian Forum headed up by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Also, whats new about the exploitation of resources in Africa?
The seven countries that Secretary Clinton and Ambassador Carson recently visited are Angola, Congo, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Somalia, and South Africa.
They did not visit Zimbabwe. According to Ambassador Carson, Zimbabwe is moving towards a new constitution. The US is committed to encouraging progress, to restore democracy.
Nigeria is without a doubt the most important country in Africa to the US State Department and to the Obama Administration. Nigeria, of course, is the largest oil producer in Africa. Were engaged in Nigeria. We are setting up a bi-national commission to advance the relationship, said Ambassador Carson.
In Liberia, the US is helping to provide development assistance.
In Kenya, Secretary Clinton and Ambassador Carson saw an opportunity to show strong support for the president and for getting their democracy back on track.
The reporter from Pacifica asked about the African Diaspora and what the State Departments relationship is to them. Ambassador Carson said that he would be traveling to the Midwest, to Minneapolis, to meet with leaders of the Somali community.
The administration is also focused on Sudan, with the intention of realizing the full completion of the peace agreement, combined with an ongoing policy review in the State Department regarding Sudan. Ambassador Carson considers that insuring of the peace agreement in its full implementation is the most important goal there. He went on to say that in regards to next weeks event in New York there is no intention to have any contact at the White House level with the leadership of Sudan.
There was absolutely no mention of Chinas role in the region. This is revealing given the fact that when we have visits from representatives of African nations they always talk about the presence of China.
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Brent McMillan, Steward of Woodhaven
Avilla, IN USA