December 06, 2004, 16:30
South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya remain the pivotal players in the implementation of US Administration National Security Strategy and its foreign policy, says Jendayi Fraser, the American ambassador to South Africa. Fraser was speaking at an Institute of Security Studies (ISS) seminar on the implications of US president George W. Bush's re-election in Pretoria.
Fraser was deployed as the US ambassador to South Africa this July after years of working as Bush's personal assistant. During the ISS seminar titled "Implications for Africa following elections in the United States" she defended Bush's administration, which was highly criticised for its invasion of Iraq last year. Fraser did not hesitate to dismiss suggestions that the US acted outside the UN mandate and usually plays the role of a self appointed security watch dog.
Outlining the US foreign policy to Africa, she said Bush's re-election is good for Africa. The Bush Administration's National Security Strategy on Africa, she said, will continue. It will focus on promoting democracy, resolving conflict and fighting terrorism.
The US government is still committed to its $15-billion programme to fight the spread of HIV and Aids in Africa over the next three years, she added.
Fraser said the Bush Administration is currently lobbying other members of the G8 to cancel third world debt. Fraser says since Bush came into power, his government has encouraged direct investment and promoted sustainable development.
The Bush administration says it supports the call for the transformation of the UN security council. Fraser says the UN peacekeeping programme needs to be improved to deal with conflicts in the region. She says the US is prepared to work closely with its key partners in Africa to resolve the current conflict in Sudan.
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