U.S.foreign policy in Africa and its impact on algerian national security, the malian crisis 2012
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Date
2013
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university of Oum-El-Bouaghi
Abstract
This research work is an attempt to appraise the United States' foreign policy in Africa and its impact on Algerian national security. After the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. changed its views about this continent and it became increasingly involved in its affairs. The reasons for elevating Africa to the level of U.S. national interest were oil and terrorism. These two reasons are interrelated in the sense that terrorism has legitimized U.S. militarization of Africa. The true reason behind American policy in Africa, however, is to establish a military presence in the continent under the excuse of terrorism and this for self-interested reasons. Indeed, terrorism was a mere fabrication that was constructed by the U.S. in order to meet its interests in the region. For the U.S. was to militarize Africa to secure its energy supplies. In this, it sought cooperation with Algeria that was already battling terrorism. During the 1970s, Algeria had acquired an international status as a defender of a new international order, a role that did not go unnoticed by the United State?. For the latter, the importance of Algeria as a strategic partner on the African continent cannot be neglected, first as a supplier of LNG and second as a country with a long experience in counterterrorism. This, however, led to negative impacts particularly with the Malian crisis of 2012 which began by the MNLA’s declaration of independence from the government of Bamako and ended with the total dominance of the Islamist groups over Northern Mali. This condition led to direct consequences on Algeria which culminated in the hostage-taking crisis of Tiguentourine.
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Keywords
United States : foreign policy : (Africa)