Millions more have fled into what has become perpetual refugee status. These conflicts even prevent African governments from successfully solving their own problems. 20 members are involved in conflict. During the past Administration, U.S. policy on such conflicts was to avoid direct involvement of U.S. troops in favor of using the African Crisis Response Initiative to train African militaries to work together to handle their own conflicts. While this policy has met with broad support among Africans and our European allies after a rough start, it cannot be our total policy on this matter.
Most African conflicts are the result of unresolved ethnic or resource-division issues.
While these are seemingly intractable problems, they must be addressed in facilitated negotiations if we are to see a lasting end to civil wars in Africa. The United States must lead the way in helping antagonists to find an agreeable, workable solution to their disputes. If the U.S. can persevere with efforts to bring the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to an end, surely we can devote our energies to resolving African conflicts in countries that also hold strategic economic and political interests for America. In order to achieve the goal of peace in Africa, we will have to engage in dialogue with African leaders with whom we disagree. For example, there was no reason to believe we could solve the enduring warfare in Angola by first not talking with rebel leader Jonas Savimbi and then falling out with Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos.