I, like most, thought the Ghana speech was well crafted and delivered. Laura has already done a good post on the speech, but I was struck by one passage in particular of President Obama’s remarks:
America has a responsibility to work with you as a partner to advance this vision, not just with words, but with support that strengthens African capacity. When there’s a genocide in Darfur or terrorists in Somalia, these are not simply African problems – they are global security challenges, and they demand a global response.
And that’s why we stand ready to partner through diplomacy and technical assistance and logistical support, and we will stand behind efforts to hold war criminals accountable. And let me be clear: Our Africa Command is focused not on establishing a foothold in the continent, but on confronting these common challenges to advance the security of America, Africa, and the world.
Notable that President Obama seemed to go out of the way to both identify Darfur as genocide and stress U.S. support for accountability. Both welcome and important clarifications.