I’m in transit to Mombasa, so this post is going to be brief. But I wanted to mention that yesterday, the Obama Administration released a paper detailing the four pillars of U.S. Strategy Towards Sub-Saharan Africa:
- Strengthen democratic institutions
- Spur economic growth, trade, and investment
- Advance peace and security
- Promote opportunity and development
These priorities are quite similar to the ones President Obama articulated in his July 2009 speech to the Ghanaian parliament, that were articulated more in-depth by other members of his Administration such as Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Johnnie Carson:
- Strengthen democratic institutions and protect the democratic gains made in recent years in many African countries
- Promote and advance sustained economic development and growth
- Strengthen public health*
- Work with African states and the international community to prevent, mitigate, and resolve conflicts and disputes*
- Deepen cooperation with African states to address both old and new transnational challenges*
*Note that Priority #3: “Strengthen public health” is now subsumed under “Promote opportunity and development,” and that Priorities #4 and #5 are now subsumed under “Advance peace and security”
My initial take on this paper is that it’s a more detailed strategy than the points first articulated in the 2009-2010 timeframe, but the substance of the Administration’s priorities is essentially the same. Furthermore, I suspect that the release of this strategy – in light of the ongoing “rebalancing” towards the Asia-Pacific region – is a means by which the Administration can attempt to assure Africa that it is not being forgotten.
Lesley Anne Warner, PhD: Insight | Strategy | Impact 
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