A New Cold War Struggle for Africa?

The International Peace Operations Association recently held a meeting on "Engaging AFRICOM" in Washington, D.C. General William Ward, commander of Africa Command, provided an overview of the command and its long-term goals. The transcript is posted on the AFRICOM website.

What really caught my eye was way down low in the transcript, during a question-and-answer session:

Q: Good evening, General. I am (inaudible) from Senegal...My question, seeing Africa, as you know it, has suffered very deeply about the competition which was going on between the former Soviet Union and the United States during the Cold War. We have paid a very high price for this competition because of national interest. U.S. is being interested again to Africa, in Africa. At the time, China is also being interested in Africa. If we don’t pay attention, the same competition will lead to the very high price for African population. What do you think should be done as a political strategy to make sure that you can (inaudible) and America would be a partner for the benefit of Africa instead of being competitive at the detriment of Africa? Thank you.

GEN. WARD: That is a great question (inaudible) and thank you for bringing that up because thats another one that I get asked quite frequently. The well, first and foremost, you know, that is another one of these policy questions. And again, as I mentioned, I dont determine our policy with nations. But I will say this. Being respectful of your point with respect to the Cold War era and what went on, on the continent, it is clearly not my intention as the commander of U.S. Africa Command to engage in those sorts of activities that put the nations of Africa in between anyone.

I am also very aware that nations of Africa are engaging with other nations than just the United States in their interest as well. And I think that the in being respectful of that causes me to say that where there are common interests that are seen, that are present, then it would be certainly fine with me to engage with whoever would have those same expressed interests that are in keeping with our national interests and the interests of the nations that we would deal with in Africa regardless of who that might be.

And as we move forward with policy direction that would allow that, then we would clearly look to do our part in cooperatively working with others in pursuit of those common objectives and not to create the condition that you described that existed during the Cold War. Thank you, sir.