Die militêre betrokkenheid van die Verenigde State van Amerika in Sub-Sahara Afrika, 1993-2001

Abstract

The article investigates the military involvement of the United States of America in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) during the Clinton administration. The aim is not to explain or analyse the nature and extent of U.S. military support to different states, or the region as a whole. Rather, the article attempts to create an understanding for the U.S. attitude towards military involvement in SSA. The suggestion is made that the U.S. did not have much interest in the security of SSA and was therefore reluctant to be militarily involved in the region. However, as the only superpower in the post-Cold War the U.S. had a responsibility for the security of SSA - even if that required the use of military means. Thus, the U.S. was confronted with a duality lack of interest vis-à-vis "forced" involvement. In SSA there was a need for U.S. military support for and involvement in the security of the region. However, U.S. military support was not always positively received and there was a fair amount of suspicion in the region towards U.S. involvement - especially military involvement. States at the receiving end of U.S. military support also had to confro nt a duality need vis-à-vis suspicion.