In the GlobalPost (a fantastic global news site), Todd Moss writes:
The world has colossal expectations for incoming President Barack Obama and for changes in U.S. foreign policy. However, the new administration’s approach to Africa will almost certainly be marked more by continuity than change. And that’s good news for Africa — and America.
Policy continuity is likely because the fundamental interests of the United States in Africa remain the same, regardless of the party in power. American interests are to support African initiatives to end conflict and fight terrorism, to address the continent’s enormous health challenges and to expand democracy and economic opportunity. These interests are broad and, if anything, growing in importance to American security and prosperity.
But the principal reason not to expect radical new directions from the Obama team is that President George Bush is leaving behind a strong Africa legacy. To the surprise of many, Bush elevated Africa within the U.S. foreign policy arena. Rather than shy away from the continent’s problems, he launched several major new initiatives that recognized Africa’s significance to America. The aid budget to Africa more than tripled on his watch and the pipeline has been sufficiently filled to put the U.S. well on its way to meet President Bush’s pledge to double aid to Africa again by 2010.
More significant than the money, however, have been new innovations. The President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) are only the most prominent of a multitude of new-style foreign aid programs that also include new ways to combat malaria, promote education and tackle neglected tropical diseases.
Other American investments in Africa include training 40,000 peacekeepers, providing 100% debt relief for the poorest countries and helping to promote economic growth by catalyzing more than a dozen new Africa-focused private equity funds.
In an era where every U.S. government building is a potential terrorist target (and the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania showed that Africa is a key battleground ), the United States opted not to withdraw but rather to build bigger and stronger embassies across Africa—a visible signal of America’s long-term commitment.
In fact, the past eight years have been game-changing for US-Africa relations. A decade ago, Washington was still arguing about whether foreign aid was a waste or not and whether the U.S. had any real interests in Africa. Today, the discussion is about how to innovate, build partnerships, and fix our aid system. It is thus no coincidence that the United States continues to be more popular in Africa than anywhere else.
All this gives President Obama a strong foundation for his Africa policy. Yet the challenges going forward are nonetheless enormous [...]
See here for the rest of the story, including a list of five things the Obama administration will have to do vis-a-vis Africa.