Introduction

    After the end of World War II, there was an emphasis on the importance of transforming diplomacy, as in; "using the full range of U.S. diplomatic tools to shape change that is good for all countries, including the United States." (U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, 1991). Generally, the United States has adopted different approaches to build peace in the entire world. These efforts have brought a great positive impact to the American people (Smith, 2007). Not only has much progress been made toward achieving global peace, but improvements have been made to domestic security and the promotion of economic prosperity. "It is clear that the United States has greatly participated in the cross-border diplomatic culture so that this stems from interconnected characteristics of American success" (Wiseman, 2011).  

The Role of Diplomacy

    Policies to promote national security and economic prosperity for American citizens have been established as diplomacy's main goals in the United States. In a 2006 speech by Assistant Secretary for Economic & Business Affairs E. Anthony Wayne during the Houston World Affairs Council Corporate Briefing, he argued that the U.S. was working hard to make sure that assistance to other countries greatly contributed to growth stimulation and reduced poverty in this country. The United States has adopted bilateral negotiation techniques and the Multilateral Convention, among others, as ways to achieve peace-building goals of diplomacy.

    There have been several bilateral negotiations between the U.S. and developing countries to encourage free trade so that goods from these countries are tariff-free. According to humanitarian expert John Hewko, the George W. Bush administration's Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) was one of the most crucial and advanced development programs in decades. This program changed behaviors in developing countries. It also encouraged good governance, democracy, and a country investing in its people. "A positive impact on the U.S. economy was also noted; more imports, including essential commodities like oil, have been brought to meet the market demand. It has also encouraged public awareness of the importance of energy security considering Hurricane Katrina's effects and uncertainty regarding how we can depend on supplies of energy from key producer countries" (Boyd et al., 2009).

    The concept of multilateral diplomacy has allowed the U.S. to work with international organizations like the African Union. Many believe that the catastrophic events of 9/11 changed Africa's views. President Barack Obama's administration tried to make some changes in policies affecting Africa. It is considered that Africa had previously felt that the U.S. had altered its conception of national interest in the region (Van de Walle, 2010). "Since 2000, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has been a core of U.S. economic policy that involves commercial engagement with Africa" (Falk, 2001). President Bill Clinton, as part of his leadership, enhanced ties between the United States and Africa. The Act was passed and signed into law and received its formal name. 

    Currently, the United States and the African Union share a mutual desire to engage in more trade and realize economic growth. A recent forum joint statement between the U.S. and the African Union includes more investment ties that are designed to go beyond African growth. In 2019, an agreement was reached between Deputy United States Trade Representative C.J. Mahoney and his counterpart, African Union Commissioner for Trade Industry Albert Muchanga. It is intended to boost the African economy as well as that of the United States.

    The United States discovered that the African Union had a great interest in working closely and identifying ways to cooperate. This encouraged American diplomats to participate in the development of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Several of the African Union's main principles and goals were to promote sustainable development and integrate the African economy. This motivated the two entities to work together regarding AfCFTA and promote a sound trade policy environment. The other key goals were to form regional economies of scale and increase the flow of goods and services between the U.S. and Africa to increase continental trade and investment. A most positive aspect is that there shall be close commercial interaction, encouraging more investment between the United States and Africa. 

Sub Saharan Africa has Achieved Growth Opportunity from the Act

    The relationship between the U.S. and Africa had been defined largely by Cold War calculations and other factors that include donor-recipient relations, aid for poverty alleviation, and emergency relief. Previously, development assistance was used as a strategy to engage African countries. Through AGOA, the U.S. was able to move to introduce trade between these countries (Scheidman and Lewis, 2012). "This allowed not only for assistance but also served as a platform to encourage U.S. investment as stimuli for economic development and poverty reduction in the region in the last twenty years. Furthermore, AGOA has contributed to and benefited from the many transformative trends in Africa"(De Melo and Portugal-Perez, 2014).

    Although Africa faces challenges with terrorism, it has enacted different strategies to fight it. However, military power and the availability of superior weapons are still limited. In the terror fight, the United States has allowed the African military to access training and weapons from American forces in the 'Organization of Africa unity' (Ernest). In December 2015, during a speech at the Oval Office, President Obama accepted that the United States was still under the threat of terrorism: "…Well, here's what I want you to know: The threat from terrorism is real, but we will overcome it. We will destroy ISIL and any other organization …" It was, therefore, important for the U.S. to work with other nations in the fight against terrorism. 

    The Organization of African Unity (OAU) was formed in 1963; it involves 55 African nations united for a common goal (Alhaji, 2006). In a speech by the African Union Chair, Person Moussa Faki Mahamat, it was noted that there was a rise in terrorism and violence extremes in Africa. The organization decided to unite and counter terrorism. The organization received additional support from the U.S. (Ramdeen, 2017). Military personnel from Africa were allowed to train together with American forces; they were also given weapons and other tools useful in the fight against terrorism.

    In short, when helping other countries, the United States has also benefited from these efforts. For example, the U.S. received benefits from engaging in AGOA, and American citizens have received platforms for investment (Babarinde and Wright, 2017). Africa is still developing economically; as such, American citizens can invest and profit from financial returns. This trade relationship allows for the flow of goods and services among the two; hence, there is mutual benefit. This is true as long as the U.S. is protecting its borders. In some countries like Somalia, terrorists still have opportunities to train and launch attacks against U.S. citizens and U.S. embassies in other countries. The U.S. has taken the initiative to work with Africa in the war against terrorism. As a result, radicals from these nations have reduced the number of attacks against our people. We can conclude that diplomacy has encouraged national security and economic prosperity in the United States. 

Bibliography

Alhaji, Cham-Joof. Message To The Founding Fathers Of The Oahu At Their First Conference At Addis Ababa 01 May 1963. The Point Newspaper 29 June 2006.

Babarinde, Olufemi & Wright, Stephen, 2017. Africa and the United States: Assessing AGOA. Africa Today, 64, 23-47.

Boyd, Ezra, Wolshon, Brian & Van Heerden, Ivor, 2009. Risk Comunication and Public Response During Evacuations: The New Orleans Experience of Hurricane Katrina. Public Performance & Management Review, 32, 437-462.

De Melo, Jaime & Portugal-Perez, Alberto, 2014. Preferential market access design: evidence and lessons from African apparel exports to the United States and the European union. the world bank economic review, 28, 74-98.

Falk, Auditorium, 2001. The African Growth and Opportunity Act: Looking Back, Looking Forward.

Ramdeen, Marisha, 2017. Countering terrorism and violent extremism in Africa. conflict trends, 2017, 49-56.

Scheidman, W & Lewis, Z. The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA): Looking Back, Looking Forward, June 2012, Africa Growth Initiative Publications, Number 7 of 43, Washington, DC: Brookings Institute. 2012.

Smith, Anton K. Turning on the Dime: Diplomacy's Role in National Security. Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College. 2007, www.jstor.org/stable/resrep11348 (access 19 March 2021).

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Secretary Rice Says Usaf Considering Permanent Presence in the Persian Gulf. 1991, www.jstor.org/stable/43987040 (access 20 March 2021).

Van De Walle, Nicolas, 2010. US policy towards Africa: The Bush legacy and the Obama administration. African Affairs, 109, 1-21.

Wiseman, Geoffrey, 2011. Distinctive characteristics of American diplomacy. The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, 6, 235-259.