United States-South African Relations: The Challenge for AFRICOM

This project examines the barriers to United States-South African strategic cooperation in the context of both nation's interests and the existing/emerging threats and challenges. This project also examines South Africa's status as a regional economic and military superpower and the implications for broader African security cooperation. The existing barriers to effective United States-South African cooperation derive from historical legacies of the colonial period and Cold War as well as from the current foreign policies of both nations. Potential strategies for effective strategic cooperation are examined and recommendations are presented for both AFRICOM and the United Sates in engaging South Africa as a strategic partner in pursuit of vital national interests.