Obama’s Africa Policy: Does he have one?

Many hopes and dreams are riding on an Obama presidency, both in the US, and among people in Africa and around the world. Obama is just one man, though he surrounds himself with smart and talented people. Based on his record in the Senate, he is a moderate Democrat in the Clinton mode. He is also a very smart man, with tremendous self discipline, who can think ahead and strategically. Like many of the finest US political leaders throughout history, he appears to have a good historical understanding of the principles of American democracy.

At the end of September representatives from both the McCain and Obama campaigns spoke to the National Press Club about their candidates’ Africa policy. You can read both statements here:

Obama’s Three Objectives for Continent

McCain’s Vision for Freedom, Peace and Prosperity

J. Peter Pham spoke for McCain. I have read a number of articles by Mr. Pham. He is a neocon, and has been a supporter and apologist for AFRICOM. Like most neocons, his answer to the world’s problems is US military intervention. In his writings he is very much concerned with security, “ungoverned spaces”, and al Qaeda in Africa. The most positive thing in his presentation is his call to end cotton subsidies in the US, ending the unfair subsidized competition with African cotton producers.

Witney W. Schneidman, who served as deputy assistant secretary of state for African affairs in the Clinton administration, spoke for Obama. He appealed for support to the African diaspora community, pointing out:

For those who may ask why, there are several reasons for this interest in the African diaspora community.

• Africans are the most educated immigrant group in the US.
• African-born men and women have higher median earnings than all foreign-born men and women in the U.S.
• Remittances from Africans in the diaspora are on the rise, estimated to be in excess of $4 to 6 billion per year. Nigerians, as one example, remit more than $3 billion per year.

The Obama campaign is witnessing an unprecedented surge of support and excitement from African Americans as well as diaspora communities, and this support will be critical to Barack Obama’s success in November.

Schneidman lays out Obama’s three fundamental objectives for Africa:

Barack Obama will pursue three fundamental objectives on the continent.

• One is to accelerate Africa’s integration into the global economy.
• A second is to enhance the peace and security of African states.
• And a third is to strengthen relationships with those governments, institutions and civil society organizations committed to deepening democracy, accountability and reducing poverty in Africa.

The first two of these sound similar to what Bush is saying with AFRICOM. What Obama means may be quite different, with luck, we’ll have a chance to find out. But the third, which includes engaging with governments, institutions, and civil society organizations sounds quite different from Bush. The Bush people did not consult with Africans before creating and announcing AFRICOM. Bush Cheney want diplomatic and development functions to be controlled by the Pentagon. They talk about partnerships, but when they do talk to Africans, they talk to military men who are graduates of US military training programs such as IMET. So generally Bush and cronies hear only what they want to hear. Obama presents a refreshing willingness to deal with a wided spectrum of people, institutions, and business, not just the military.

The Bush administration has looted the US treasury, leaving severe constraints on the next president. There are many things people in the US and elsewhere are looking to Obama to do. Given the state of the US treasury and the economy, Obama will have to be extraordinarily resourceful and creative to accomplish the changes he wishes to bring. As Schneidman says:

The experience of Barack Obama has also raised extraordinary expectations in Africa. We need to be realistic about these expectations, especially given the financial pressures in the U.S. …

But that said, there is much to be optimistic about. Obama has voiced support for AFRICOM, but appears to understand the US has been working against its own and African interests in many places. For example:

In Somalia, Obama sees a need to recalibrate the U.S. approach. For the last several years, our efforts at state-building, humanitarian relief and counter-terrorism have worked at cross purposes; we need to develop an approach so that they work at common purpose.

Obama plans to address the situation in the Eastern Congo as well. In addition:

He will help to enhance the prosperity beginning to reach Africa. The World Bank estimates Africa’s middle class will grow fourfold in the next 20 years, from its current levels of 12 million people in countries such as South Africa, Zambia, Nigeria, Kenya and others. Barack Obama will work to accelerate this process.

Obama seems to have a much more practical approach to China in Africa than we have seen to date. He obviously does not see the first and foremost response to China to be a military response:

China’s rapidly expanding influence on the continent holds promise for Africa, especially in the area of infrastructure development. Its growing presence is also generating concerns around saddling new debts on African governments, environmental degradation and worker safety on the part of Chinese extractive companies, and eroding the market share of African producers on the continent and globally.

Barack Obama will engage the Chinese to establish the rules of the road and to ensure that we are working at common purpose to enhance economic development on the continent.

However, it will be important that African governments are part of this effort and part of this dialogue; the days of external powers on their own deciding what is best for Africa needs to come to an end, once and for all.

Obama knows that in the past eight years:

In fact, development assistance to the poorest countries in Africa has decreased by half in this time frame. Ironically, the percentage of development going to the best-governed countries has dropped even more, by two-thirds, in this period.
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We have seen no increase in development assistance in areas such as democracy building, the rule of law, judicial reform, the strengthening of parliaments, education and enhancing the entrepreneurial skills of men and women.
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Barack Obama’s vision of leadership in this new era begins with the recognition of a fundamental reality: the security and well-being of each and every American is tied to the security and well-being of those who live beyond our borders, including in Africa. The United States will provide global leadership grounded in the understanding that the world shares a common security and a common humanity. We must lead not in the spirit of a patron, but in the spirit of a partner. Extending an outstretched hand to others must ultimately be about recognizing the inherent quality, dignity and worth of all people.

This is an inspiring and positive statement of intentions and principles. It is good to hear the emphasis on “democracy building, the rule of law, judicial reform, the strengthening of parliaments, education and enhancing the entrepreneurial skills of men and women”. And Obama seems to get it: “the days of external powers on their own deciding what is best for Africa needs to come to an end, once and for all.” You can read and interpret for yourself: Obama’s Three Objectives for Continent.

Photo: Obama with grandmother while on a visit to Kenya.
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