Leaders: U.S., Africa Should Strengthen Relationship

Leaders: U.S., Africa Should Strengthen Relationship

BY MICHAEL CINELLI
Rice News Staff
May 6, 1999

The relationship between the United States and Africa was the focus of a panel discussion on “U.S. Foreign Policy in Africa: Which Way Forward?” at Rice’s James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy on April 27.

The program featured discussion among the leaders of four African nations and the U.S. assistant secretary of state for African Affairs. The leaders discussed how the United States could–and should–strengthen its relationship with Africa.

“There are many reasons here in the Southwest of the United States, in Texas and in Houston for us to focus on Africa, given our major energy, trade, economic and commercial relationships with Africa,” said Edward Djerejian, director of the Baker Institute. “But going beyond just the economic and commercial details, Houston has a very important African community and a very important African-American community. So the cultural ties, the economic ties and the political ties are all there for us to address in this part of the United States.”

Panelists for the program were President Omar Bongo of Gabon, President Sam Nujoma of Namibia, President Festus Gontebanye Mogae of Botswana, Vice President-elect Alhaji Abubakar Atiku of Nigeria and Susan Rice, U.S. assistant secretary of state for African Affairs.

The four African nation leaders urged U.S. lawmakers to pass the African Growth and Opportunity Act No. 434, recently reintroduced to Congress in March by the Clinton administration. The act would insure that the United States will continue to work toward improving its relationship with Africa on a number of key issues, including: