Five Former U.S. Assistant Secretaries of State for Africa Discuss U.S. Policy

Chester Crocker (1981-1989), Herman J. Cohen 1989-1993), George Moose (1993-1997), Constance Berry Newman (2004-2007) and Jendayi Frazer (2005-2009) participated on 21 September in a unique event hosted by the Atlantic Council.

For more than two hours, they discussed frankly their experiences as the person in charge of Africa policy in the State Department. They also commented on key issues facing the Obama administration. The audio, video and a transcript of the remarks can be found here.

Quote in McClatchy story on Hillary Clinton

I was interviewed by Shashank Bengali of McClatchy Newspapers (and the blog Somewhere in Africa) in his article "On Africa visit, Clinton won't shy away from thorny issues." Here is my quote (in the final paragraph of the article):

"The administration is placing more responsibility on Africans themselves for resolving their problems and improving economic development," said David H. Shinn, a former U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia. "Having said that, I believe the secretary's visit will produce some 'good cop' rhetoric to offset the 'tough cop' remarks of the president."

You can view the entire article here, and it appears in a variety of publications, including the Miami Herald, the Kansas City Star, and the Sacramento Bee.

CENSA publishes book on U.S.-China-Africa

The Council for Emerging National Security Affairs (CENSA) is announcing that it has just published "Crossroads Africa: Perspectives on U.S.-China-Africa Security Affairs," for which I wrote the preface, titled "Africa at the Crossroads." The book is edited by Robert R. Tomes, Angela Sapp Mancini, and James T. Kirkhope (New York: Council for Emerging National Security Affairs, 2009). As far as I can tell, it is not available online, but you can check at www.censa.net. To see more information about a panel related to the book last April, click here.

Book launch tomorrow

I will be making a presentation at tomorrow's launch for the book "U.S. Africa Policy beyond the Bush Years: Critical Challenges for the Obama Administration," edited by Jennifer Cooke and J. Stephen Morrison. I am a contributor to the book, along with Joel Barkan, William Bellamy, Timothy Carney, Chester Crocker, Michelle Gavin, David Goldwyn, Princeton Lyman, and Phillip Nieburg. Below are some more details about the program tomorrow, which is sponsored by the CSIS Africa Program, and which will be at the Basement Level Conference Center at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1800 K Street, NW, Washington, D.C. (map). Opening remarks by Johnnie Carson, assistant secretary of state for African affairs, U.S. Department of State 5 - 5:30 p.m. - Cocktail Reception 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. - Opening Remarks and Roundtable Discussion with Chapter Authors A new report from the CSIS Africa Program offers a comprehensive assessment of U.S. Africa policy during the Bush years and provides recommendations in several key areas to the new Obama administration. At the event, a cocktail reception will be held to honor U.S. Africa policymakers from the previous and current administrations. The reception will be followed by a roundtable discussion with contributors to the report on how Africa will compete as a U.S. foreign policy priority in this current era. Copies of the publication will be on-hand for distribution. Please RSVP to the CSIS Africa Program at Africa@csis.org to attend.

Blurb in recent book on Ethiopia and the U.S.

I was blurbed in the recent book Ethiopia and the United States: History, Diplomacy, and Analysis by Getachew Metaferia, professor of political science at Morgan State University. The book covers much of the same territory that I cover in the introduction to The 1903 Skinner Mission to Ethiopia & A Century of Ethiopian-American Relations. Here's what I said about the book in the blurb:

Getachew Metaferia’s book provides a most comprehensive history of American–Ethiopian relations over the past century. His account provides new insights on that history, the relationship during the Carter presidency, and on the role of the Ethiopian diaspora. It also offers the reader some provocative analyses, particularly of the post-Derg years.

Two talks on Somalia

Yesterday, I spoke twice on Somalia at an event in New York co-sponsored by the New York Center for Conflict Dialogue, Transitional Trade, and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York Committee on African Affairs. Another one of the speakers was H.E. Dr. Elmi A. Duale, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, representative for Somalia to the UN, and the event was very well attended (more than 100 people, including at least one GW alum). The transcripts to my talks can be found below:

1. The Current Situation in Somalia (transcript)
2. An Evaluation of U.S. Policy toward Somalia (transcript 2)

Remarks on the U.S. and China in Africa

I spoke today at a closed session at the Elliott School of International Affairs as part of the Fourth Dialogue on U.S.-China Relations in a Global Context, co-sponsored by the school's China Policy Program and the China Institute of International Studies, Beijing. A transcript of my remarks, which address "The U.S. and China in Africa" -- particularly U.S. interests in Africa, U.S. policy in Africa, and areas for U.S.-China collaboration in Africa -- can be found here.

"The U.S. and Africa: Issues and challenges"

On April 1, I addressed more than 300 U.S. military and civilian and about 20 foreign military officers at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (National Defense University) on U.S.-Africa policy. A transcript of my remarks, which touched upon several historical policy themes, U.S. interests in Africa, U.S. strategy towards Africa, an evaluation of African policy during the Bush administration, and a discussion of issues and challenges facing the Obama administration, can be accessed here.