Most of sub-Saharan Africa has long been identified as part of the so-called Third World as far as economic and political development are concerned. Most of the continent was also exploited by different colonial powers during the eighteenth, nineteenth, and into the twentieth centuries. Indeed, the placement of these countries in the category of Third World nations is in part a reflection of the stunted development caused by the colonial experience. That experience continues to shape relations between Africa and the West both as to how Africa responds to external influences and how those influences are brought to bar through the foreign policy decisions of the West. Britain and France were colonial powers with colonies in Africa, and each has maintained interests on the continent and have shaped their foreign policies in part on the basis of their former roles. Aspects of U.S. foreign policy toward Africa are still shaped by guilt over the slave era, and U.S. policies tend to be geared around the provision of economic aid in various forms.
In 1997, new ministers for Africa were installed in Washington, London, and Paris at more or less the same time, and it was believed that each faced an uncertain reception and an even more uncertain future. Among the positive signs was the fact that the current economic statistics for sub Saharan Africa showed that the region was enjoying its best economic performance for more than two decades; in addition, many countries were making progress toward democracy. At the same, time, though, several states seemed to be heading for a breakdown. The capitals of Brazzaville (in the ex French Congo) and Bangui (in the Central African Republic) were engaged in civil war. Fighting was resuming in Angola and Sierra Leone. Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, was experiencing riots, though Kenya had formerly been a model of stability. The crisis came about as the government refused to implement promised...