Hillary Clinton goes to sub-Saharan Africa: a counterpoise to China's sway?
The Secretary of State was in Senegal Wednesday, kicking off a six-nation trip to sub-Saharan Africa. Hillary Clinton will highlight Africa's economic and political progress – and try to define what Obama means by 'partnership, not patronage.'
By Howard LaFranchi | Christian Science Monitor – 16 hrs ago
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton may confront a sentiment that the United States is arriving a little late to Africa’s dance as she undertakes a 10-day, six-nation sub-Saharan trip to spread President Obama’s “partnership, not patronage” Africa policy.
The Obama administration came into office pledging a new relationship with Africa focused more on private investment, democracy-building, and security cooperation than on handouts. But America's own economic troubles and its focus on Asia have meant the new policy has been more one of words than action, some Africa experts say.
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It's an ironic metaphor La Franchi uses given this in Kenya in August 2009.
By my count, Mme. Secretary will have visited 23 African countries by the end of this trip. I wonder if it is possible for any SOS to visit all of the countries on the continent in a four-year tenure - a moot question really when some countries are simply too dangerous to visit. The implication that Africa has been ignored or given a back seat to Asia, and attaching that neglect to the secretary of state is incorrect and unfair. She has been on the continent every year. She has visited dangerous places and spoken frankly to men who did not want to hear her message. Tirelessly, she has made contact with civil society on the continent both in town hall and private meeting formats including business, minority, and opposition representatives. .
LaFranch ignores that her work with Africa is not done solely on the ground in Africa. Many initiatives, her work on women's issues, entrepreneurship, public health, food security, AIDS prevention, internet freedom ... I could go on ... all of these efforts involve Africa. So when she is in D.C. there is probably not a week that goes by without Africa rising above her horizon. She certainly has been putting our partnership issues with African nations front and center all along. To state otherwise is to sell her work short. I expect better from the Monitor. This piece is uncharacteristically and unfairly negative. As she enters the final months in her post, she is packing in as much face-to-face diplomacy as any human being can be expected to manage - more than most could. She deserves better credit than this.
