President Obama's Visit to Kenya and Ethiopia

President Obama has visited Kenya and Ethiopia to establish greater economic and diplomatic ties in the East African region. This was presented as a historic move, because President Obama was the first president to visit Ethiopia. The president has articulated that Africa is rising economically. It is true that the African continent will be a major player in international affairs in the 21st century. However, this is not a mission of good will. Geopolitically it is an attempt for the US to reassert its self in East Africa. The wider objective is to counter Chinese influence, expand the so called War on Terror, and procure natural  resources. The nature of these diplomatic contacts appear to be imperialist in nature. Kenya and  Ethiopia may possibly be transformed into US client states. President Obama's foreign policy in regards to African nations has not been successful. The overthrow of Qaddafi, inaction in Nigeria, and strained relations with Uganda prove that the US is not viewed favorably. Africom serves as an unpleasant reminder of  how African sovereignty can be easily violated.Celebration was a mask for ulterior political motives.
      The major reason for Obama's visit was to repair damaged relations. During the Bush administration, African sates objected to the invasion of Iraq.That war evoked memories of a colonial past and ruined the image of the United States internationally. The War on Terror was extended to East Africa. Somalia would be targeted by drone strikes. The objective was to remove the Islamic Union of Courts.

They were imposing order in the southern part of Somalia. The problem was that they were imposing Sharia Law and a strict interpretation of Islam. The country had been unstable since the fall of Said Barre. Civil war and famine were now a common part of life. This instability also attracted Kenya and Ethiopia to get involved. Obama took another approach by increasing drone strikes. The US has become more unpopular, because of these actions. President Obama now realizes that East Africa is strategic. This attempt at revival of cordial ties may not be successful. The financial aid programs of the Bush administration  failed to persuade African leaders. Meles  Zenawi  the former prime minister of Ethiopia got the country more involved in military action. According to Wikileaks, the US encouraged this as a counter-terrorism strategy. Mwai Kibaki who ruled Kenya for a decade followed a similar policy. Troops were sent into Somalia for "stabilization." The AU Mission in Somalia has had soldiers come not only from Kenya and Ethiopia, but Uganda,  Burundi, as well as Djibouti. This is not about a peacekeeping mission, but occupation. States involved wanted to increase their power and Somalia was the key to that. The change in leadership in Ethiopia and Kenya seemed like a new opportunity for  the US. It was already too late, because of China's efforts.  

       Around 2007, Hu Jintao conducted a diplomatic tour of at least eight African countries. China's president was on a mission to establish stronger economic and diplomatic ties. These actions in retrospect were nothing new. During the Mao era, China was very supportive of anti-colonial freedom struggles. Relations do go back decades with various African states. Critics claim this is an attempt at colonization, but this is not the case. China does not make demands to African states in regards to laws or other practices. President Hu Jintao never attempted to impose Chinese political values on Ethiopia  or Kenya. 

When Hu Jintao met with President Kibaki there was the discussion of oil exploration in Kenya.There is a  possibility that more could present on Kenyan territory.Bilateral relations with Ethiopia focused on infrastructure and commerce between the two countries. It is apparent that these countries need each other. They face similar challenges of development and pressure from  the West. Human rights which are an important issue, are used to justify the US-EU blocks interference in the internal affairs of nations. A more extreme element of this is the use of military force. Other African states have taken notice and realized they needed some from of protection against western aggression . China had elevated  its power on the global stage and could provide at level of security to African states. 

China's enormous population needs certain resources to keep its society functional. Xi Jinping  continues  the policies of his predecessor. He may possibly expand them. The approach is different from US diplomatic efforts. The United States wants to remain the global hegemon , instead of have a multipolar world order. China is viewed as a military threat that must be countered. The US is making Africa an indirect battle ground against China. Such belligerence continues to turn global public opinion against the US. China could in the future be more favorable in the future. President Obama continues a China containment policy that is now extending to every continent. This allows for more aggression overseas. 

       Obama's visit to Kenya and Ethiopia was not just about revitalizing damaged relations, but expanding the War on Terror. East Africa has become another front. The United States is attempting to make Kenya and Ethiopia more compliant in regional interests. Al-Shabab's acts of violence has been used as a justification for the US to have a military presence. If Somalia were to become stable, the US could establish large bases there. This capability would allow for greater control of the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea. The United States intervention in Somalia in 1993 was disastrous. It was a major foreign policy failure of the Clinton administration and demonstrated the dangers of humanitarian intervention. President Obama's strategy is to have Kenya and Ethiopia do most of the fighting, while drone strikes  intensify of the US. Seeing as the US cannot fight every battle at once, it requires regional enforcers. Client states will be armed and will fight on the behalf of US foreign policy goals. This may not work as intended. Ever since the Westgate Mall attack in Kenya, the country wants to expand its power. This is not just for national security purposes, but for dominance in the East African region. Kenya another East African regional power is also competing for that goal .  The only binding consensus between these two countries is that Al-Shabab must be defeated. The terrorist group emerged from the collapse of the Union of Islamic Courts. The Westgate Mall attack was blowback  from Kenyan and US interference in Somalia. Attempts to make Kenya and Ethiopia partners in the War on Terror will have precarious results. 

           During Obama's visit to Kenya and Ethiopia human rights were discussed. His generally condescending tone was not uncommon for most US leaders. President Obama lectured Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn about the importance of press freedom. He also discussed further security and economic matters. The inappropriate lecturing about press freedom seems contradictory. US media is owned by five entertainment corporations. The American public is given the same message in a format that appears to be "unbiased."  The difference with Ethiopia is that the media falls under more state control. 

The United States has many contradictory policies in regards to the African continent. Ethiopia and Kenya receive criticism, but countries such as Algeria, Morocco, and Egypt are absolved of wrong doing.  This double standard is present, because of their willingness to submit to US objectives. Before traveling to Ethiopia, President Obama sated Kenya needed to address gay rights. President Kenyatta responded "this is a non-issue." While discriminating against someone based on their sexual orientation is unethical, the US has not right to criticize any country. It took the power of the US Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage in America. Southern states are still trying to challenge the Supreme Court ruling and Republicans as well. It seems the US needs a lecture on human rights. The behavior of the Kenyan security services has been questionable, but the conduct of US police is comparable. US police continue to get away with murder and nothing has been done to curtail this by the Obama administration. If the US wants to lecture countries about human rights it should improve its own image. 

       President Obama's  visits to Kenya and Ethiopia have represented a unclear and contradictory foreign policy. The first African American president invaded an African country when agreeing to bomb Libya as part of the NATO mission. The assassination of Muammar Qaddafi resulted in the destabilization of North Africa and the Sahel. Islamist militias now overrun the country, which has induced the migration crisis across  the Mediterranean Sea. The United States, France, and the United Kingdom refuse to take responsibility for their actions. While the response to Libya was violent, the policy toward Nigeria has been passive. The Bring Back Our Girls Campaign was a movement that emerged when Boko Haram abducted girls from school. This was not the first time this occurred, but the administration quickly supported it. There is more support given to the war against ISIS than the fight against Boko Haram. Nigeria is considered low priority for the Obama administration. Relations with other African countries are not favorable either. There is tension between Uganda and the US over South Sudan. Uganda has been involved in South Sudan for a number of years. The US condemns Ugandan interference, even though the US is actively working against Sudan. At one point the president preaches the values of human rights, but supports some of the most oppressive regimes across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The NATO invasion of Libya caused much concern and trepidation in African leaders. This unprovoked aggression left many wondering of a revival direct colonial conquest. The African Union wanted a peaceful solution to the crisis in Libya. NATO ignored proposals for a diplomatic solution and intensified bombing. Now that Robert Mugabe is chairperson of the African Union, it seems matters will be run differently. The US will not be viewed favorably if it continues sanctions against Zimbabwe. As long as those sanctions are in place and military strikes continue President Obama's African foreign policy  will go no where.

         President Obama's visit to Kenya and Ethiopia could hardly be called a success. There still is a level of suspicion that Kenya and Ethiopia hold against the United States. This is understandable considering America's past actions of supporting colonial powers such as the UK and France. The only valuable prize from this was that it could cement Obama's foreign policy legacy. The Trans-Pacific Partnership is in a undetermined state. ISIS has taken both Syrian and Iraqi territory. Afghanistan continues to be unstable battling both corrupt government and the Taliban. It would seem as if there were limited successes for the Obama administration. The state visit to Kenya and Ethiopia was a way to present himself as an able and competent leader. As his approval ratings go down, this hinders what he accomplish in his second term. His government has very little time to waste. Depending who will be elected, the foreign policy calculus could be altered drastically.If this visit is perceived as positive it could give the Democratic Party a boost. The reality is obviously different. There has been an effort to rebuild the image of the US in international public opinion. This has been thwarted by the role of international policemen that many US presidents do not want to relinquish. If it is not, the US will find itself more isolated from African states.