Washington (The White House, February 7, 2000)

The following are the sections on North Africa and on Sub-Saharan Africa
from the Clinton administration's National Security Strategy For A New
Century, completed in December 1999 and released last month.

North Africa
The United States has an interest in the stability and prosperity of North
Africa, a region that is undergoing important changes. In particular, we are
seeking to strengthen our relations with Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria and to
encourage political and economic reform. Libya continues to be a country of
concern for the national security and foreign policy interests of the United
States. Although the government of Libya has taken an important positive
step away from its support of terrorism by surrendering the Lockerbie
suspects, our policy toward Libya is designed to encourage Libya to
completely cease its support of terrorism and block its efforts to obtain
weapons of mass destruction.

Promoting Prosperity
The United States has two principal economic objectives in the region: to
promote regional economic cooperation and development and to ensure an
unrestricted flow of oil from the region. We seek to promote regional trade
and cooperation on infrastructure through the peace process, revitalization
of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) economic summits, and our
Qualifying Industrial Zone program, which provides economic benefits for
certain countries that enter into business arrangements with Israel. In
South Asia, we will continue to work with the region s democracies in their
efforts to implement market reforms, strengthen educational systems, and end
the use of child and sweatshop labor.
Although the United States imports less than 15% of the oil exported from
the Persian Gulf, the region will remain of vital strategic importance to
U.S. national security due to the global nature of the international oil
market. Previous oil shocks and the Gulf War underscore that any blockage of
Gulf supplies or a substantial increase in price would immediately affect
the international market, driving up energy costs everywhere -- ultimately
harming the U.S. economy as well as the economies of our key economic
partners in Europe and Japan. Appropriate responses to events such as Iraq s
invasion of Kuwait can limit the magnitude of a crisis in the Gulf and its
impact on world oil markets. Over the longer term, U.S. dependence on access
to these and other foreign oil sources will remain important as our reserves
are depleted. That is one of many important reasons why the United States
must continue to demonstrate commitment and resolve in the Persian Gulf.

Promoting Democracy
We encourage the spread of democratic values throughout the Middle East,
North Africa and Southwest and South Asia and will pursue this objective
aided by constructive dialogue with countries in the region. In Iran, for
example, we hope the nation s leaders will carry out the people s mandate
for a government that respects and protects the rule of law, both in its
internal and external affairs. We will promote responsible indigenous moves
toward increasing political participation and enhancing the quality of
governance, and we will continue to challenge governments in the region to
improve their human rights records. Respect for human rights also requires
rejection of terrorism. If the nations in the region are to safeguard their
own citizens from the threat of terror, they cannot tolerate acts of
indiscriminate violence against civilians, nor can they offer refuge to
those who commit such acts.
Our policies are guided by our profound respect for Islam. The Muslim
religion is the fastest-growing faith in the United States. We recognize and
honor Islam s role as a source of inspiration, instruction and moral
guidance for hundreds of millions of people around the world. U.S. policy in
the region is directed at the actions of governments and terrorist groups,
not peoples or faiths.

Sub-Saharan Africa
In recent years, the United States has engaged in a concerted effort to
transform our relationship with Africa. We have supported efforts by many
African nations to move toward multi-party democracy, hold free and fair
elections, promote human rights, allow freedom of the press and association,
and reform their economies. A new, post-colonial political order is emerging
in Africa, with emphasis on democratic and pragmatic approaches to solving
political, economic and environmental problems, and developing human and
natural resources. U.S.-Africa ties are deepening, and U.S.-Africa trade is
expanding.
Sustaining these recent successes will require that we identify those issues
that most directly affect our interests, and on which we can make a
difference through efficient and effective targeting of our resources. We
will promote regional stability through engagement with sub-regional
organizations and key African states using carefully harmonized U.S.
programs and initiatives. Our immediate objective is to increase the number
of capable states in Africa; that is, nations that are able to define the
challenges they face, manage their resources to effectively address those
challenges, and build stability and peace within their borders and their
sub-regions.

Enhancing Security
Serious transnational security threats emanate from pockets of Africa,
including state-sponsored terrorism, drug trafficking, international crime,
environmental degradation and infectious diseases, especially HIV/AIDS.
Since these threats transcend state borders, they are best addressed through
effective, sustained sub-regional engagement in Africa. We have already made
significant progress in countering some of these threats such as by
investing in efforts to combat environmental degradation and infectious
disease, and leading international efforts to remove mines planted in
previous conflict areas and halt the proliferation of land mines. We
continue efforts to reduce the flow of illegal drugs through Africa and to
curtail international organized criminal activity based in Africa. We will
improve international intelligence sharing, and train and assist African law
enforcement, intelligence and border control agencies to detect and prevent
planned terrorist attacks against U.S. targets in Africa.

We seek to keep Africa free of weapons of mass destruction by supporting
South Africa s nuclear disarmament and accession to the NPT as a non-nuclear
weapon state, supporting the African Nuclear Weapons Free Zone, and
encouraging African nations to join the BWC and CWC.

Nigeria s rapid change from an autocratic, military regime to a civilian,
democratically elected government affords us an opportunity to build
productive security, political and economic relations with the most populous
country in Africa. With nearly one in six Africans living in Nigeria, the
impact of serious cooperative efforts to tackle mushrooming crime, drug
trafficking and corruption problems could be enormously beneficial to the
United States and a large proportion of Africans.

The Sierra Leone peace accord signed in July 1999 illustrates that
cooperative efforts can resolve long-standing African conflicts. Nigeria
played a leadership role in this effort, working in concert with the
Economic Community of West African States and supported by the international
community. The July 1999 Organization for African Unity (OAU) initiative,
under Algeria s energetic leadership, for peace between Eritrea and Ethiopia
is another such example of cooperative peace efforts which we have actively
supported. We believe the Lusaka cease-fire agreement of July 1999 can bring
an end to the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and its Joint
Military Commission supports the evolution of a regional collective security
arrangement in Central Africa. Additionally, we are working with the Angolan
government through a Bilateral Consultative Commission (BCC) on key areas of
mutual interest such as regional security, humanitarian and social issues,
and economic reform.

Sudan continues to pose a threat to regional stability and the national
security interests of the United States. We have moved to counter Sudan s
support for international terrorism and regional destabilization by imposing
sanctions on the Khartoum regime, continuing to press for the regime s
isolation through the UN Security Council, and enhancing the ability of
Sudan s neighbors to resist Khartoum-backed insurgencies in their countries
through our Frontline States initiative. We support regional efforts for a
just and fair peace and national reconciliation in Sudan based on the
Inter-Governmental Authority on Development s Declaration of Principles.

Persistent conflict and continuing political instability in some African
countries remain obstacles to Africa s development and to our national
security, political and economic interests there, including unhampered
access to oil reserves and other important natural resources. To foster
regional stability and peace in Africa, the United States in 1996 launched
the African Crisis Response Initiative (ACRI) to work with Africans to
enhance their capacity to conduct effective peacekeeping and humanitarian
operations.

We are coordinating with the French, British, other donor countries and
African governments in developing a regional exercise program to promote
common doctrines and command and control capability, and interoperability
for peacekeeping missions. We are consulting closely on ACRI activity with
the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the OAU and its Crisis
Management Center, and African sub-regional organizations already pursuing
similar capability enhancements. The United States has established the
African Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) to promote the exchange of ideas
and information tailored specifically for African security concerns. The
goal is for ACSS to be a source of academic, yet practical, instruction in
promoting civil-military relations and the skills necessary to make
effective national security decisions in democratic governments. The
curriculum will engage African military and civilian defense leaders in a
substantive dialogue about defense policy planning, civil-military
relations, and defense resource management in democracies. Our long-term
goal is to support the development of regional security arrangements and
institutions to prevent and manage armed conflicts and curtail transnational
threats to our collective security.

Promoting Prosperity
A stable, democratic, economically growing Africa will be a better economic
partner, a better partner for security and peace, and a better partner in
the fights against drug trafficking, crime, terrorism, infectious diseases
and environmental degradation. Lasting prosperity for Africa will be
possible only when Africa is fully integrated into the global economy.

Further integrating Africa into the global economy will also directly serve
U.S. interests by continuing to expand an already important new market for
U.S. exports. The more than 700 million people of sub-Saharan Africa
represent one of the world s largest basically untapped markets. Although
the United States enjoys only a seven-percent market share in Africa,
already 100,000 American jobs depend on our exports there. Increasing both
the U.S. market share and the size of the African market will bring tangible
benefits to U.S. workers and increase prosperity and economic opportunity in
Africa. Our aim, therefore, is to assist African nations to implement
economic reforms, improve public governance and combat corruption, create
favorable climates for trade and investment, and achieve sustainable
development.

To support the economic transformation underway in Africa, the President in
June 1997 launched the Partnership for Economic Growth and Opportunity in
Africa Initiative. The Administration has implemented many of the Initiative
s objectives and continues to work closely with Congress to implement
remaining key elements of this initiative through passage of the African
Growth and Opportunity Act. By significantly broadening market access,
spurring growth and helping the poorest nations eliminate or reduce their
bilateral debt, the Initiative and the legislation will better enable us to
help African nations undertake difficult economic reforms and build better
lives for their people through sustainable development. We are working with
African governments on shared interests in the world trading system, such as
developing electronic commerce, improving WTO capacity-building functions,
and eliminating agricultural export subsidies. We also are pursuing
initiatives to encourage U.S. trade with and investment in Africa, including
targeted technical assistance, enhanced debt forgiveness, and increased
bilateral trade ties. We have led the international community in efforts to
address Africa s crippling debt, through the Cologne Initiative which
substantially deepens relief available under the Heavily Indebted Poor
Countries (HIPC) initiative. We will continue to work with African countries
to manage and reduce the debt burden in order to unleash the continent s
economic potential.

To further our trade objectives in Africa, the Ron Brown Commercial Center
was established in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1998. The Center provides
support for American companies looking to enter or expand into the
sub-Saharan African market, promotes U.S. exports through a range of support
programs, and facilitates business contacts and partnerships between African
and American businesses. The President s historic March 1998 trip to Africa
and the unprecedented March 1999 U.S.-Africa Ministerial further solidified
our partnership with African nations across a range of security, economic
and political issues.

Helping Africans generate the food and income necessary to feed themselves
is critical for promoting sustainable growth and development. Despite some
recent progress, the percentage of malnourished people and lack of
diversified sustainable agricultural production in Africa is the highest of
any region in the world, and more help is greatly needed. In 1998 we
launched the Africa Food Security Initiative, a 10-year U.S. Agency for
International Development-led effort to help improve agricultural
productivity, support research, expand income-generating projects, and
address nutritional needs for the rural poor.

African nations are also engaged in battle with diseases, such as malaria
and tuberculosis, which sap economic productivity and development. Worse,
the epidemic of HIV/AIDS continues to attack the continent, threatening
progress on development, reducing life expectancy, and decreasing GDPs in
the hardest-hit nations. The Administration has made the battle against AIDS
and other diseases a priority for international action and investment in
Africa. Our global AIDS Initiative has focused special attention and
earmarked resources for Africa.

Promoting Democracy
In Africa as elsewhere, democracies have proved stronger partners for peace,
stability and sustained prosperity. We will continue to support the
important progress African nations have achieved and to broaden the growing
circle of African democracies. The restoration of civilian democratic
government in Nigeria can help return that country to its place as a leader
in Africa. Over the past year, the government and people of Nigeria have
succeeded in restoring democratic civilian government, freed political
prisoners, lifted onerous restrictions on labor unions, and worked to
restore the authority of the judicial system. Nigeria s new civilian
government has taken sweeping steps to ensure that the military remains in
the barracks and that fighting corruption will be a top priority. The
peaceful elections in February 1999 and inauguration of the new civilian
government in May 1999 were important steps in this transformation.

As in any democratic transition, Nigeria s new government is facing enormous
challenges: creating accountable government, building support within the
military for civilian rule, protecting human rights, and rebuilding the
economy so it benefits all citizens. President Clinton met with President
Obasanjo at the White House in October 1999 and reaffirmed our commitment to
work with him on the challenges and security, economic, political and social
issues.

Through the Great Lakes Justice Initiative, the United States is working to
help end the cycle of violence and impunity in the Democratic Republic of
Congo, Rwanda and Burundi, and to support judicial systems that are
impartial, credible, effective and inclusive. In addition, we will work with
our allies to find an effective formula for promoting stability, democracy
and respect for human rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo so that it
and a democratic Nigeria can become the regional centers for economic
growth, and democratic empowerment that they can and should be. In order to
help post-apartheid South Africa achieve its economic, political, democratic
and security goals for all its citizens, we will continue to provide
substantial bilateral assistance, vigorously promote U.S. trade and
investment, and pursue close cooperation and support for our mutual
interests.

Ultimately, the prosperity and security of Africa depend on African
leadership, strong national institutions, and extensive political and
economic reform. The United States will continue to support and promote such
national reforms and the evolution of regional arrangements that build
cooperation among African states.

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