The foreign policy of President-elect Donald Trump may be less interested for Africa as in the domestic factors he may not open to lobbying by the African diaspora in the United States.
Historically the African diaspora has always played key role in pushing the African policy in the domestic agenda. Checking back the election campaign days the Trump team didn’t receive any help from the group and hence there is no question of any payback in coming four years.
It is also believed the kind of visibility African has always received in past several decades would surely fall in the society and social movements as well in the US.
Apart from all these calculations, it is being said Trump may not entertain the idea that African diaspora is part of the “sixth region” of Africa.
According to the African Union, the “sixth region” are those African decent who live outside Africa.
Moreover, Trump may not be so tolerant and interested to the domestic politics issues of the continent like the ongoing conflicts in Ethiopia and Somalia.
It is also unpredictable whom Trump will chose as his assistant-secretary of state for Africa. Earlier, for a period of several decades, predicting was possible, and in almost all instances like in the case of Chester Crocker, Hank Cohen and Susan Rice. With Trump there is absolutely no indication.
Besides all these, it is now important for the African countries to be very conscious, conspicuous and constructive while choosing their ambassadors as the appointments will be highly crucial in opening doors to the new administration.
