United States interests and policies in Africa : transition to a new era

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Bibliographic Information

United States interests and policies in Africa : transition to a new era

edited by Karl P. Magyar

Macmillan , St. Martin's, 2000

  • : uk
  • : us

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Includes bibliographical references and index

Description and Table of Contents

Volume

: us ISBN 9780312223885

Description

Five African specialists examine Africa's five regions regarding changes in U.S.-Africa relations as a consequence of the demise of the global Cold War. The separate chapters review Africa's five regions, as well as provide prospects for U.S. relations with Africa in a climate without soviet strategic competition.
Volume

: uk ISBN 9780333694473

Description

During the closing days of the Cold War Africans correctly sensed that this profound development would soon impact on the role that Africa had experienced during that era. This was rapidly demonstrated as the West's attention shifted from Africa's modest but respectable Cold War strategic importance to Eastern Europe, a volatile Russia, and the new republics adjacent to the world's largest cauldron of ongoing hostilities, the Middle East. In the process, Africa, except for the Northern and Northeastern regions, was quickly marginalized. This is not to say that Africa has been altogether ignored by the shifting policies of the former Cold War great powers. After the extrication of the Soviets and Cubans from Angola, it was thought than an innovative joint policing arrangement might be instituted by the Russians and Americans in the interest of stabilizing Africa. However, few had then fathomed the depth of the Soviet Union's incapacitation. Of these two former Cold War leaders, only the United States could extend new commitments in Africa, and indeed the United States soon embarked on a variety of low-level involvements and interventions in Africa, but mostly of a humanitarian or Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW) nature. The most notable action was the support rendered to the United Nations peacekeeping operation in Somalia in 1992. The American military casualties there revealed America's insufficient understanding of Africa, and the realization that Third World conflicts continue, demonstrating that the latter has agendas of its own apart from being surrogates of Cold War protagonists. The contributors focus on a standard regional framework. Of the five regions, northern and southern Africa attract more attention from the US than do the other regions. However, America's support of ECOMOG's peacekeeping operations in West Africa, the controversial departure of General Mobutu of Zaire in Central Africa, and in East Africa the terrorist attacks against America's embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, plus America's missile attack on Sudan's alleged offensive weapons production facility, attest to the relevance of all regions to US interests in Africa. An examination of America's interests and policies in Africa reveals the most important lessons of America's post-Cold War era diplomacy: that wars continue unabated; and that all armed hostilities occur in the Third World. These trends are now well established yet the US continues to ignore this fact. As far as Africa is concerned, there will be no shortage of external interests vying to control the continent's future.

Table of Contents

  • List of Tables Preface Notes on Contributors Introduction: Africa's Transitional Role in America's Post Cold War Era Diplomacy
  • K.P. Magyar The United States and North America: Sustained Strategic Interests
  • M.Yakan Post Cold War Era in West Africa: Implications for U.S. Foreign Policy
  • E.Conteh-Morgan Central Africa: Initiatives Deferred
  • R.Copson U.S. Policy Towards East Africa: Crisis Response Amid Limited Interests
  • J.E.Winkates Southern Africa: U.S.A. Relations in Transition
  • K.P.Magyar Conclusion: Africa's Political and Strategic Marginalization
  • K.P.Magyar

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