Africa and America in an Age of Terror

Abstract

This essay is an investigation of the United States’ policy toward Africa, and Africa’s place in America’s “war on terrorism.” In the firm belief that one cannot understand current U.S. policy toward Africa without providing a historical context, the essay starts by briefly assessing the destructive effects of American policies on Africa during the era of the Cold War. It then analyzes post-Cold War U.S. policy toward Africa under the administration of president Bill Clinton between 1993 and 2000, arguing that, despite the administration’s rhetorical support for democracy in Africa, this policy was often marked by political inconsistency, cynical opportunism, and willful neglect, as dramatized most vividly by support for non-democratic leaders and policy debacles in Somalia and Rwanda. Clinton’s trade policy, however, produced some results in efforts to increase trade with Africa. We also assess the Africa policy of the current U.S. president, George W. Bush Jr., placing our analysis within the global context of the “war on terrorism” and the recent American invasion and occupation of Iraq. We focus particularly on African reactions to these events, and also assess the policy battles and views of some of the senior officials within the Bush administration on Africa-related issues. The essay concludes by offering some policy recommendations for a more enlightened U.S. policy toward Africa.