Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson is spilling some of the president's beans regarding his African policies in the future.
In Washington Monday, Carson told the African American Unity Caucus that Obama's African policy would focus on four key issues. According to Voice of America, those issues are:
1.Promoting and strengthening democratic institutions and the rule of law
2. Preventing and resolving conflicts
3. Encouraging sustained growth
4. Working with African countries to address what he called the new and old global challenges.
In his address to the caucus, Carson had this to say:
"We constantly have to encourage those in civil society to be the voice and conscience of their countries, and we have to promote constitutional democratic governments, strong court systems, strong legislatures, regular elections, free media, and religious tolerance," …"The administration plans over a number of years to put a substantial amount of money into agricultural development to do two things. One is to lift people out of poverty and the other one is to help grow…agriculture."
Obama visits Ghana in July where Carson said he would further elaborate on some of the topics discussed.
What do you think about the four issues Carson outlined? Considering the issues America faces, both foreign and domestic, is this an example of having too many irons in the fire?