The Clinton administration&apos;s policy toward Angola: an assessment

Wright, George

doi:10.1080/03056240108704566

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Review of African Political Economy

Volume 28, Issue 90

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The Clinton administration's policy toward Angola: an assessment

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research-article

Author(s): George Wright ^a

Publication date (Print): December 2001

Journal: Review of African Political Economy

Publisher: Review of African Political Economy

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Abstract

This article assesses President Bill Clinton's foreign policy towards Angola within the context of United States’ post‐World War II foreign policy, Clinton's overall foreign policy, and his approach towards sub‐Saharan Africa. In September, 1992, multi‐party elections based on national reconciliation were held in Angola. After losing those elections to President Jose Eduardo dos Santos and the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) Jonas Savimbi and his National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) returned to warfare, quickly gaining control of over 70 per cent of the country. The Bush administration responded to Savimbi's actions by proposing a new round of negotiations based on ‘power sharing’, designed to give Savimbi and UNITA another chance to gain state power. President Clinton extended diplomatic relations to the Government of Angola, but also promoted the power sharing solution. In 1984 an agreement was made between the Government and UNITA, which led to a government of national unity in 1997. Savimbi, however, continued to terrorise the Angolan society. Two central questions raised in this assessment are: 1) Why was Savimbi able to sustain his military option? and 2) Was the Clinton administration actually committed to ‘national reconciliation’ in Angola? The current analysis shows that: 1) Savimbi sustained his military option because UNITA earned over $3 billion smuggling diamonds, enabling him to purchase ample supplies of weapons; and 2) as long as Western business interests made profits there, the instability wrought by Savimbi was acceptable to the hegemonic interests of the United States.

Content

Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (publisher-id): crea20

Journal ID (archive): CREA

Title: Review of African Political Economy

Publisher: Review of African Political Economy

ISSN (Print): 0305-6244

ISSN (Electronic): 1740-1720

Publication date (Print): December 2001

Volume: 28

Issue: 90

Pages: 563-576

Affiliations

^a Professor Emeritus from the Department of Political Science , California State University , Chico E-mail: gwright@ 123456csuchico.edu

Article

Publisher ID: 8704566 Coden ID: Review of African Political Economy, Vol. 28, No. 90, December 2001, pp. 563-576

DOI: 10.1080/03056240108704566

SO-VID: cc2881bf-86b0-4a43-a463-340f40bbf386

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All content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission of the publisher or the author. Articles published in the journal are distributed under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

History

Page count

Figures: 0, Tables: 0, References: 33, Pages: 14

References

Action for Southern Africa. . 2000. . Waiting on Empty Promises: the Human Cost of International Inaction on Angolan Sanctions: . p. 2––3. .
Allen C. . 1999. . ‘Warfare, Endemic Violence and State Collapse in Africa/. . Review of African Political Economy . , Vol. 26((81)): 367––384. .
Anstee M. . 1996. . Orphan of the Cold War: The Inside Story of the Collapse of the Angolan Peace Process, 1992–3 . , London : : St. Martin's Press. .
Brittain V. . 1999. . Death of Dignity: Angola's Civil War . , New Jersey : : Africa World Press. .
Brown C. . 1998. . ‘A Clinton Safari or New African Agenda?’. . The (New) Crisis . , Vol. 105((3)): 28––29. .
Campbell H. . 1990. . The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale . , Uppsala : : Scandinavian Institute of African Studies. .
Cason J. . 1997. . ‘The US: Backing out of Africa,’. . Review of African Political Economy . , Vol. 24((71)): 147––153. .
Chabal P and Daloz J P. . 1999. . Africa Works: Disorder as a Political Instrument . , Oxford : : James Currey. .
Cox R. . 1993. . “‘Gramsci, Hegemony and International Relations: an Essay in Method,’. ”. In Gramsci, Historical Materialism and International Relations . , Edited by: Gill S. . Cambridge : : Cambridge University Press. .
Crocker C. . 1992. . High Noon in Southern Africa: Making Peace in a Rough Neighbourhood . , New York : : W.W. Norton. .
DeGrasse R. . 1993. . ‘American Perestroika’. . Society . , Vol. 30((4)) June 30;: 17––23. .
Feldman G. . 1997. . ‘Sub‐Saharan Africa: The Overseas Business Challenge of the 21st Century,’. . Business America . , Vol. 118((1/2)): 7––11. .
Ferguson T. . 1995. . “‘"Real Change?” Organized Capitalism, Fiscal Policy, and the 1992 Election,’. ”. In Golden Rule: the Investment Theory of Party Competition and the Logic of Money Driven Political Systems . , University of Chicago Press. .
Gowan P. . 1999. . The Global Gamble; Washington's Faustian Bid for World Dominance . , London : : Verso. .
Hartung W and Moix B. . 2000. . Deadly Legacy: U.S. Arms to Africa and the Congo War . , Washington : : World Policy Institute. .
Herman E. . 2001. . ‘The Clinton Legacy: A Retreat to Hooverite Economic Policies,’ .
Holness M. . 1999. . Wanted for Murder: Jonas Savimbi . , London : : Angola Emergency Campaign. .
Human Rights Watch. . 1999. . Angola Unravels: The Rise and Fall of the Lusaka Peace Process . , New York : : Human Rights Watch. .
Kaldor M. . 1999. . Nezv and Old Wars: Organised Violence in a Global Era . , London : : Polity Press. .
Minter B. . 1991. . ‘The United States and the War in Angola,’. . Review of African Political Economy . , Vol. 18((50)): 15––34. .
1994. . ‘Angola: Enough is Enough,’. . Review of African Political Economy . , Vol. 21((59)): 118––120. .
1996. . ‘From War to Peace in Angola: Increasing the Chances of Success’. . Review of African Political Economy . , Vol. 23((67)): 111––118. .
1994. . ‘Clinton to ask billions more in spending for the military’. . New York Times, The . , 2 December;
Rotberg R. . 1993. . ‘The Clinton Administration and Africa,’. . Current History . , Vol. 92((572)): 193––197. .
Simon D. . 1998. . ‘Angola: the Peace is Not Yet Fully Won/. . Review of African Political Economy . , Vol. 25((77)): 495––503. .
Smith P. . 1992. . ‘Angola: Free and Fair Election/. . Review of African Political Economy . , Vol. 19((55)): 101––106. .
Tvedten I. . 1997. . Angola: Struggle for Peace and Reconstruction . , Boulder : : Westview Press. .
United Nations Angola Sanctions Committee. . 2000. . The Fowler Report: Final Report of the UN Panels of Experts on Violations of Security Council Sanctions Against UNITA . , United Nations. .
Van der Fiji K. . 2001. . ‘From Gorbachev to Kosovo: Atlantic Rivalries and Re‐incorporation of Eastern Europe,’. . Review of International Political Economy . , Vol. 8((2)): 275––310. .
Vines A. . 1998. . Peace Postponed: Angola since the Lusaka Protocol . , London : : Catholic Institute for International Relations. .
Wood B. . 1991. . Preventing the Vacuum: Determinants of the Namibia Settlement. . Journal of Southern African Studies . , Vol. 17((4)): 742––769. .
Wright G. . 1997. . The Destruction of a Nation: United States Policy Toward Angola since 1945 . , London : : Pluto Press. .
Windrich E. . 1992. . The Cold War Guerrilla: Jonas Savimbi, the US Media, and the Angolan War . , New York : : Greenwood Press. .

Comments

Comment on this article

[1] Action for Southern Africa. . 2000. . Waiting on Empty Promises: the Human Cost of International Inaction on Angolan Sanctions: . p. 2––3. .

[2] Allen C. . 1999. . ‘Warfare, Endemic Violence and State Collapse in Africa/. . Review of African Political Economy . , Vol. 26((81)): 367––384. .

[3] Anstee M. . 1996. . Orphan of the Cold War: The Inside Story of the Collapse of the Angolan Peace Process, 1992–3 . , London : : St. Martin's Press. .

[4] Brittain V. . 1999. . Death of Dignity: Angola's Civil War . , New Jersey : : Africa World Press. .

[5] Brown C. . 1998. . ‘A Clinton Safari or New African Agenda?’. . The (New) Crisis . , Vol. 105((3)): 28––29. .

[6] Campbell H. . 1990. . The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale . , Uppsala : : Scandinavian Institute of African Studies. .

[7] Cason J. . 1997. . ‘The US: Backing out of Africa,’. . Review of African Political Economy . , Vol. 24((71)): 147––153. .

[8] Chabal P and Daloz J P. . 1999. . Africa Works: Disorder as a Political Instrument . , Oxford : : James Currey. .

[9] Cox R. . 1993. . “‘Gramsci, Hegemony and International Relations: an Essay in Method,’. ”. In Gramsci, Historical Materialism and International Relations . , Edited by: Gill S. . Cambridge : : Cambridge University Press. .

[10] Crocker C. . 1992. . High Noon in Southern Africa: Making Peace in a Rough Neighbourhood . , New York : : W.W. Norton. .

[11] DeGrasse R. . 1993. . ‘American Perestroika’. . Society . , Vol. 30((4)) June 30;: 17––23. .

[12] Feldman G. . 1997. . ‘Sub‐Saharan Africa: The Overseas Business Challenge of the 21st Century,’. . Business America . , Vol. 118((1/2)): 7––11. .

[13] Ferguson T. . 1995. . “‘"Real Change?” Organized Capitalism, Fiscal Policy, and the 1992 Election,’. ”. In Golden Rule: the Investment Theory of Party Competition and the Logic of Money Driven Political Systems . , University of Chicago Press. .

[14] Gowan P. . 1999. . The Global Gamble; Washington's Faustian Bid for World Dominance . , London : : Verso. .

[15] Hartung W and Moix B. . 2000. . Deadly Legacy: U.S. Arms to Africa and the Congo War . , Washington : : World Policy Institute. .

[16] Herman E. . 2001. . ‘The Clinton Legacy: A Retreat to Hooverite Economic Policies,’ .

[17] Holness M. . 1999. . Wanted for Murder: Jonas Savimbi . , London : : Angola Emergency Campaign. .

[18] Human Rights Watch. . 1999. . Angola Unravels: The Rise and Fall of the Lusaka Peace Process . , New York : : Human Rights Watch. .

[19] Kaldor M. . 1999. . Nezv and Old Wars: Organised Violence in a Global Era . , London : : Polity Press. .

[20] Minter B. . 1991. . ‘The United States and the War in Angola,’. . Review of African Political Economy . , Vol. 18((50)): 15––34. .

[21] 1994. . ‘Angola: Enough is Enough,’. . Review of African Political Economy . , Vol. 21((59)): 118––120. .

[22] 1996. . ‘From War to Peace in Angola: Increasing the Chances of Success’. . Review of African Political Economy . , Vol. 23((67)): 111––118. .

[23] 1994. . ‘Clinton to ask billions more in spending for the military’. . New York Times, The . , 2 December;

[24] Rotberg R. . 1993. . ‘The Clinton Administration and Africa,’. . Current History . , Vol. 92((572)): 193––197. .

[25] Simon D. . 1998. . ‘Angola: the Peace is Not Yet Fully Won/. . Review of African Political Economy . , Vol. 25((77)): 495––503. .

[26] Smith P. . 1992. . ‘Angola: Free and Fair Election/. . Review of African Political Economy . , Vol. 19((55)): 101––106. .

[27] Tvedten I. . 1997. . Angola: Struggle for Peace and Reconstruction . , Boulder : : Westview Press. .

[28] United Nations Angola Sanctions Committee. . 2000. . The Fowler Report: Final Report of the UN Panels of Experts on Violations of Security Council Sanctions Against UNITA . , United Nations. .

[29] Van der Fiji K. . 2001. . ‘From Gorbachev to Kosovo: Atlantic Rivalries and Re‐incorporation of Eastern Europe,’. . Review of International Political Economy . , Vol. 8((2)): 275––310. .

[30] Vines A. . 1998. . Peace Postponed: Angola since the Lusaka Protocol . , London : : Catholic Institute for International Relations. .

[31] Wood B. . 1991. . Preventing the Vacuum: Determinants of the Namibia Settlement. . Journal of Southern African Studies . , Vol. 17((4)): 742––769. .

[32] Wright G. . 1997. . The Destruction of a Nation: United States Policy Toward Angola since 1945 . , London : : Pluto Press. .

[33] Windrich E. . 1992. . The Cold War Guerrilla: Jonas Savimbi, the US Media, and the Angolan War . , New York : : Greenwood Press. .