Obama's direct line to the heart of Africa: London Times
Friday, July 10, 2009 at 6:07AM You need only read the heartrending Africa chapters of Dreams from My Father to realise that Barack Obama gets Africa. He struggles with his own feuding Kenyan family, where poorer members scrounge off richer ones, and he agonises over why this continent, full of smart, energetic people and rich in resources cannot get its act together. His own catchphrase, “Yes We Can”, seems to be answered by Africa’s, “But We Don’t”.
On becoming US President, Mr Obama could have done many things to put Africa high on his agenda: he could have made it his first overseas trip, arranged a dramatic appointment as head of the Africa bureau, or taken a sentimental journey to Kenya. Instead, he chose to do none of these things. The new head of the Africa bureau, Johnnie Carson, a steady career diplomat with a lot of Africa experience, was one of Mr Obama’s last appointments, made 106 days after his inauguration.
Maybe it was a defensive move; because Mr Obama is half-African, he did not want to make any special gesture to Africa or to African America. Or maybe it reflected the power of Mr Obama’s unique position. He can do something no other Western leader can do. He can pick up the phone to an African president and talk to him straight — as an African, without fear that he can be accused of neo-colonialism or racism, the weak but poisonous defence against Western pressure by many African rulers. As one Ghanaian put it to me yesterday: “If a foreigner tells you to clean up your mess, it is regarded as an insult. If your brother tells you, it is good advice.” more
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