REFINING AMERICAN STRATEGY IN AFRICA

Traditionally, the United States has not been a major
player in the security environment of Sub-Saharan Africa,
relying instead on European nations to provide outside
assistance to African states. Today, it is appropriate to
rethink this neglect. Africa is undergoing vast political,
social, and economic changes. A consistent and welldesigned
American strategy in the region could help tilt the
scales in favor of security and stability.
In this study, Dr. Steven Metz provides a broad overview
of the African security environment as a basis for
recommendations on the refinement of American strategy
in that region. He assesses both the opportunities for
positive change which exist today, and the obstacles. While
only Africans themselves can determine the future of their
region, an American strategy which discourages proxy
aggression, encourages private initiatives in the economic
and political spheres, and uses the U.S. military,
particularly the Army, to engage its African counterparts
could pay great dividends.
American defense strategy calls for using the military to
help shape the global security environment, preempting
and deterring conflict and building regional mechanisms for
security. This is a particularly wise approach to Sub-
Saharan Africa. The Strategic Studies Institute is pleased
to offer this study as part of the ongoing debate over how the
U.S. military can best contribute to the mission of shaping
the security environment.