Current foreign Relations with Africa Compared to Past Administrations Essay

The recent visit of President Obama to Africa peculiarly in Ghana and how he was received in that terra firma is a reflection of the unify States menses remote relations to Africa. Apparently, the U. S. outside(prenominal) relation with Africa under the Obama plaque is reflected in the following words m revealh by the president before the Parliament in Accra, Ghanas capital. Quoting the Presidents word, hammer Baker puts it, But I apprise promise you this America willing be with you every clapperclaw of the trend, as a partner, as friend (Baker).The US foreign policy as outlined in the presidents message was that the American sup sort to African development efforts is dependent on how Africa takes it tariff for its own problems. This is clearly depicted in the Presidents words as cited by Baker, We moldiness start from the simple premise that Africas future is up to Africans (Baker). Obama emphasized that the US support on Africa is primarily because of a functioning ma jority rule and honest governance as he warned that No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves, or police can be bought off by drug traffickers. Furthermore, he said No business wants to invest in a place where the organisation skims 20 percent off the top, or the head the head of the port authority is corrupt. No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery (Baker). Citing the statement of Representative Donald Payne, head of the House sub-committee on Africa, Baker points out that the Obama foreign policy, as Payne predicted, will likely to concentrate on things that would prevent dismay like higher(prenominal) education rather than on the U.S. war on terror (Gettleman) Africa has always been important in the United States foreign policy in view of the former USSRs interests in the Red Sea through with(predicate) which oil flawed to the Red Sea from the Middle East. This importance is reflected in Alan Dobson and Steve Marsh argument that during the Reagan administration, His reinvigoration of the cold war caused him more than any other acold struggle US President to Africa in colors of red versus the star-spangled banner rather than the black versus white (Dobson & Marsh 93).The issue behind the Cold War between the United States and USSR relating to the interest of these two world powers has generated the importance of Africa in the US foreign policy not in an effort to counter the threat of communism in the region, through diffusion promoting the blessings state in this former slave colony. Apparently, the Carter period sees domestic turmoil as caused by the commie adventurism and implemented a policy of bringing about democracy in Africa (Adar).Compared to these previous foreign policies, although the Obama organisation embarked on preventive similar measures, the circumstances demanding for such concerns were a bit different. The situatio n confronting Africa during the Cold War period was critical because of the threat of communism to reign over the continent, while the situation in Africa confronting the Obama administration is the existence of evils in our world.Baker noted that one evil in Africa that Obama came to fight is pernicious mix in of greed, famine, and war that has kept Africa down (Baker). The U. S. foreign relation to Africa during the Cold War era viewed democracy as essential component of the US foreign involvement in Africa. According to Korwa Adar, two the Reagan and Bush senior s administration viewed the issue of democracy and human rights (Adar, par. 14) as the main order of business in their foreign relations policy with Africa.Although the Obama administration too emphasized on the role of functioning democracy in his foreign relation policy with Africa, the Obama administration stressed on the issues of corruption and tyranny in the government as the main issues held by the government as primary responsibility of the government to resolve, whereas, both the Reagan and Bush Sr. administration pointed out the human rights violation and the containment of communism as their main agenda in their foreign policy.Regarding the Clinton administration, Adar pointed out that the Bush administrations efforts on the issue of human rights and democracy were carried on by President Clinton (Adar par. 17). Adar argued that even though the US had no foreign policy towards Africa introductory to Clinton presidency, the existing policy during that time was to provide support to leaders on the basis of anti-communist or anti-apartheid cajolery more than their actions (Adar, par. 16). The Clinton administration strengthened its commitment as part of his foreign policy, its commitment to human rights.Adar cited that in response to violence and killings of innocent people by the Abacha regime in Nigeria, Clinton cutoff $450, 000 in the US aid in military training and $11 million in grants. In comparison, although the Obama government is also dealing with insurgencies, as Representative Payne earlier cited, the Obama government policy to be implemented in Africa will not likely be about the US fight on the war on terror, but it will be on preventing the breeding of terrorist and terrorism through providing opportunity of having higher education.Thus, the Obama government foreign policy will likely to yield better results than the previous governments. Obviously, the big difference was that his cultural origin with Africa placed his foreign policy towards Africa make all the difference because it is based not altogether shared political ends, but on his shared heritage with Africa. Work Cited Adar, Korwa G. The Wilsonian Conception of nation and Human Rights A Retrospective and Prospective. African Studies Quarterly The Online Journal for African Studies. Date Retrieved July 14, 2009.http//web. africa. ufl. edu/asq/v2/v2i2a3. htm Baker, Peter. Obama Delivers Call for metamorphose to a Rapt Africa. July 11, 2009. The New York Times. July 14, 2009. http//www. nytimes. com/2009/07/12/world/africa/12prexy. hypertext mark-up language? em Dobson, Alan P. $ Marsh, S. US Foreign indemnity Since 1945. New York Routledge 2001 Gettleman, Jeffrey. Obama in Africa Welcome Back, Son. Now Dont Forget Us. July 11, 2009. The New York Times. July 14, 2009. http//www. nytimes. com/2009/07/12/weekinreview/12gettleman. html? ref=africa