Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently concluded her maiden trip to sub-Saharan Africa carrying in her words "a tough message lovingly delivered." Simultaneously, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk visited Kenya, Ethiopia and Senegal also touting, in his words, "a tough love" message for Africans.
But U.S. policy in Africa is not about love. It's about advancing America's core interests: promoting economic growth and development, combating terrorism, and fostering well-governed, stable countries. Did Mrs. Clinton's trip advance those interests? The record is mixed.
The secretary of state did well to show the American flag in the region's most strategic countries. Kenya is the regional hub for commerce in East Africa, and it plays a key role in combating terrorism in Somalia and the Horn of Africa. South Africa and Nigeria together constitute more than 50% of sub-Saharan Africa's economic output, and both countries are major providers of peacekeeping forces throughout Africa. Mrs. Clinton got it right that we must engage these countries to help shape the continent's future in a fashion that advances our mutual interests.
She was also right to speak about women's empowerment. Her stops in the Democratic Republic of Congo—especially the conflict zone of Goma where women are frequent victims of war-related rape—and Liberia, home of Africa's first elected woman president, demonstrate her commitment to highlight and advance women's issues globally.
Not so welcome is the false billing that Mrs. Clinton's trip was the earliest by an American secretary of state. Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice traveled there earlier in their terms—Mr. Powell in May 2001 and Ms. Rice in July 2005. Even more unwelcome is the Obama administration's penchant for lecturing Africans rather than listening.
Here are four quick steps the administration can take to translate the rhetoric of love into policies that advance mutual U.S. and African interests:
• Place Eritrea on the list of state sponsors of terrorism. This will follow through on Mrs. Clinton's statements that Eritrea must end its assistance to al Shabaab, a designated Somali terrorist group.
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