U.S. Africa Policy Since the Cold War
Abstract
During the Cold War, United States foreign policy toward Sub-Saharan Africa had little to do with Africa. As with other developing regions, African countries were first and foremost pawns in the great global chess game. Republican and Democratic Administrations alike supported American clients and sought to undermine Soviet ones. Economic and military assistance was directed to key allies, such as Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire and Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, and anticommunist rebel organizations, such as Jonas Savimbi's UNITA (Uni o Nacional para a Independ ncia Total de Angola) in Angola. Because the U.S. perceived few if any direct strategic or economic interests in Africa, engagement with the region was largely defined by Cold War logic from the late 1950s until the late 1980s, and remained relatively limited. As it became clear that the Cold War was winding down, Africa watchers began to ponder the future of U.S. relations with the continent. Idealists hoped that the United States would now be free to pursue policies that would address Africa's own problems, most of which were traced to the failure of economic development, authoritarian governance, and/or ongoing conflicts, while realists feared that Africa would become even more marginalized. In fact, U.S. Africa policy writ large passed rapidly through two quite different transitional phases, before settling in somewhere between them.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA520352
Entities
People
- Letitia Lawson
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School