But there are solid American interests in play, even if Africa does not have the strategic importance it had during the superpower rivalry of the Cold War. Nigeria and South Africa, big democracies rich in resources, are especially important to the United States. Nigeria supplies much of its oil, and although it is not part of Mr Powell's tour, President Olusegun Obasanjo has already been to Washington. Both Nigeria and South Africa, which Mr Powell is visiting, are crucial to stability in large regions of Africa. The US would like them to play a greater role in African peacekeeping operations, in which the Americans themselves prefer not to be involved.
More military aid is one possibility.
The United States has already trained some Nigerian soldiers. Domestic US politics are also driving Africa up the agenda. The Bush administration is under pressure both from religious conservatives, a key part of its constituency, and members of the black community, which it would like to attract, to take a strong line on Sudan. They depict the civil war there as the persecution of black Christians by an evil Arab Islamic government. Mr Bush has described Sudan as a disaster area for human rights and appointed a special envoy.