the frequent armed conflicts in equatorial africa and neighboring countries tend to be primarily

Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa identified four “strategic pillars” that American policy would strive toward on the continent: “the strengthening of democratic institutions, spurring economic growth, trade, and investment, advancing peace and security and promoting opportunity and development.” 1 The assumption underlying all of these objectives is that progress will be enabled by strong partnerships with countries and regional blocs across the continent.

Though often relegated to the back burner of American foreign policy deliberations, developments in Sub-Saharan Africa have garnered increased attention in recent years.

Reevaluating American partnerships on the continent and reinstating the principle of first doing no harm are critical if the United States is to achieve its objectives in the region and strengthen multilateral partnerships to advance our global security agenda. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the movement of populations, proliferation of violent, nonstate actors, expansion of criminal networks, and continued weakness of governance indicators all present serious challenges in the short, medium, and long term.

The frequent armed conflicts in equatorial africa and neighboring countries tend to be primarily