The Democratic Republic of Congo has been ravaged by what some have called "Africa's World War." While Congo remains dangerously unstable, the U.S. has worked with the country in a regional peace initiative dubbed the Tripartite Plus process. USAID assistance to the country has also increased since 2007.

Tanzania has benefitted from American engagement in the prevention of HIV/AIDS and, in March 2010, the two countries signed a Partnership Framework to enable deeper cooperation in preventing and treating the scourge of AIDS.

One of the poorest nations in the world, Mali is nonetheless a relatively stable constitutional democracy with good ties to the U.S. and the West. It is also a predominantly Muslim nation that has seen a sharp rise (200 percent) in the number of elected female leaders between 2006 and 2008.

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