Overview

The post-911 'War on Terror' and the growing recognition that state failure and poverty provide fertile breeding grounds for terrorist organizations once again made Africa a major focal point of American foreign policy. Today's featured publication, "US Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa," confirms that Washington's policies in this part of the world are currently aimed at balancing its long-term interests with its near-term imperatives. In general terms, this means helping speed up the continent's economic development, strengthening democratic institutions and improving general security across the region. Finally, to confirm or not whether these policies are working, we present a selection of case studies that illustrate how things are progressing 'on the ground'.

This feature includes:

• US Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa
• Addressing Developments in Mali: Restoring Democracy and Reclaiming the North
• The United States - South Africa Partnership: Going Global

Recommended readings:

• external pageU.S. Support to Regional Efforts To Counter the Lord's Resistance Armycall_made
• external pageBuilding Americans' Engagement With Sub-Saharan Africacall_made
• external pageEconomic Statecraft: Embracing Africa's Market Potentialcall_made
• external pageCountering Narcotics Threats in West Africacall_made
• external pageExamining the U.S. Policy Responses to Entrenched African Leadershipcall_made
• external pageBriefing on U.S. Policy to Africa by Ambassador Johnnie Carsoncall_made
• external pageUpdate on the Evolving Security Situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Implications for U.S. National Securitycall_made