In Africa, Obama remains diplomatic on oil and guns

Behind all the inspirational words and “Yes we can” sound bites of Barack Obama’s first presidential visit to sub-Saharan Africa, questions are lingering about two key issues that formed a tacit subtext to his visit: oil and military bases.

Mr. Obama’s visit on the weekend to Ghana, so early in his presidential term, is the latest sign of Africa’s mounting strategic importance to Washington. The continent is a growing source of U.S. oil supplies and a crucial battleground for the U.S. fight against Islamic radicals, who are increasingly powerful in Somalia and North Africa.
Promising to “strengthen African capacity” to deal with security threats, Mr. Obama defended the growing role of the U.S. Africom military command, despite widespread suspicions that it is aimed at boosting American power on the continent. “Let me be clear: Our Africa Command is focused not on establishing a foothold on the continent, but on confronting these common challenges to advance the security of America, Africa and the world,” he said.

Oil, meanwhile, is an increasingly crucial U.S. interest in Africa. The country aims to obtain 25 per cent of its oil imports from Africa within the next five years, up from 15 per cent today. Much of this is already coming from Nigeria, but instability and corruption in Nigeria have made it a risky source.

An offshore oil discovery in Ghana has boosted its appeal as a potentially safer source of oil for the United States. Its early production – forecast at 100,000 barrels a day in 2011, and possibly 500,000 barrels a day by 2014 – would not be enough to compete with the bigger African producers. But some estimates suggest that Ghana’s total oil reserves could be up to 10 billion barrels.

Mr. Obama briefly mentioned Ghana’s oil in his speech on Saturday, saying that the oil discovery “brings great opportunities” for the country. But he urged it to diversify its exports so that its economy is not dominated by a few commodities. “Oil cannot simply become the new cocoa,” he said.

While oil and military bases may not have been central to Mr. Obama’s official agenda in Ghana, his visit will help him to build goodwill in Africa, which could prove useful if the United States needs African oil and bases in the future, Ghana-based analyst Kofi Bentil said.

Globe and Mail