Obama's Africa Affair: Oil, Minerals and Markets
* By John Feffer <
http://www.fairobserver.com/author/John%20Feffer>
*
* 28.09.2014
John Feffer is Co-Director of Foreign Policy In Focus at the Institute for
Policy Studies. He is the author of several books and numerous articles. Pr
US policy toward Africa has translated into holding the door open for
multinationals to extract the continent's wealth.
<
http://www.fairobserver.com/?s=barack+obama> Barack Obama is definitely
"into" <
http://www.fairobserver.com/?s=africa> Africa. As much as possible
in a world riven by multiple crises, the
<
http://www.fairobserver.com/?s=america> US president has made the continent
a focus of his policymaking. Turning his own
<
http://www.fairobserver.com/?s=kenya> Kenyan heritage into a personal
bridge to the region, he has visited Africa three times as president - in
2009, 2011 and 2013. Obama has touted his administration's multi-billion
dollar initiatives such as <
http://www.fairobserver.com/?s=power+africa>
Power Africa to bring electricity to millions of homes, a fellowship program
for young <
http://www.fairobserver.com/?s=african> African leaders, and the
continuation of efforts to fight HIV-AIDS and other infectious diseases. At
a time when criticism is mounting about the way the president is handling
the rest of the world, Africa is shaping up to be Obama's major
<
https://www.devex.com/news/obama-s-africa-legacy-moment-84025> play for a
legacy.
Earlier this month, to better position this effort, Obama welcomed
delegations from 51 African countries to
<
http://www.fairobserver.com/?s=washington> Washington for an unprecedented
summit. As part of its press blitz, the White House
<
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/08/04/fact-sheet-us-support
-democratic-institutions-good-governance-and-human-> released a fact sheet
that detailed all the State Department's high-profile programs, including
support for democracy in <
http://www.fairobserver.com/?s=nigeria> Nigeria,
an expansion of civil society activity in
<
http://www.fairobserver.com/?s=liberia> Liberia, and an open government
initiative in Sierra Leone. Many of these initiatives are indeed admirable,
and I can imagine State Department staffers grumbling that the media focus
on Ebola and <
http://www.fairobserver.com/?s=boko+haram> Boko Haram has
left no space for these more upbeat stories......
Read it in PDF attachment below:
Berhane Habtemariam
Received on Sun Sep 28 2014 - 15:01:25 EDT