Introduction

U.S. foreign policy toward West Africa during the Cold War was, by most accounts, aimed at isolating the region and the continent from Communist expansion. As a result, the United States provided aid indirectly through multinational institutions such as the World Bank, and directly through agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). However, in the absence of African sentiments against the former Soviet Union, the multifaceted socioeconomic and political-military problems facing the continent provided the impetus for U.S. policymaking institutions to leave West African nations at the mercy of their former European colonial masters.

In the twenty-first century, U.S. policy toward West Africa is being driven almost entirely by geopolitical and economic interests, principally interests in oil and other natural resources. In recent years, the United States has tried new strategies to promote economic development and political reform in West Africa. An example of such a strategy is the African Growth and Opportunity Act, now being supplemented with a new worldwide program known as the Millennium Challenge Account.

U.S. relations with West Africa have many stakeholders, including federal bureaucracies, Congress, many special interest groups, and individuals involved in the making of U.S. policy toward West Africa. The process of policymaking is often a struggle between various stakeholders whose ideas often clash on policy issues.

The purpose of this chapter is to examine U.S. foreign policy toward West Africa in the twenty-first century. The analysis begins with an exploration of the policy actors. This is followed by a discussion of key U.S. policy priorities, focusing on democracy, economic development, and security issues. Critical issues that cut across national boundaries, such as the fight against HIV/AIDS and terrorism, are also explored. The analysis concludes with recommendations on how to better craft future U.S. foreign policy toward West Africa.