The election of a US President with a Kenyan father was greeted by jubilant scenes in Kenya in 2008. And President Obama talked about a new moment of promise for Africa when he visited Ghana in 2009. Building on this theme, the White House has just launched a new strategy for Africa, promising to strengthen democracy and encourage economic growth through trade and investment. Though the strategy did mention the importance of countering al Qaeda across the continent, there was no mention of the role of the United States Africa Command (U.S. AFRICOM), which was established in 2007 under George W Bush.
