Obama's Africa Trip Clouded by Mandela's Poor Health

DAKAR, Senegal—President Barack Obama made a widely anticipated return to Africa on Wednesday, a visit he hopes will spotlight opportunities for boosting economic development and buttressing democratic institutions.
But the declining health of the former South African President Nelson Mandela, which is weighing heavily on the continent, has the potential to scramble the plans and overshadow Mr. Obama’s visit. The 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader remains in critical condition in a Pretoria hospital.

Reuters
Obama arrives with his family at the Dakar, Senegal, airport on Wednesday.

Mr. Obama, who considers Mr. Mandela a personal hero, isn’t scheduled to see him during a stop Saturday in Pretoria. Administration officials said the president would defer to the Mandela family’s wishes but left open the possibility of a last-minute change in plans.
“Ultimately, we want whatever is in the best interest of his health and the peace of mind of the Mandela family,” said Ben Rhodes, deputy national-security adviser to Mr. Obama. “If (Mr. Obama) has an opportunity to see the family in some capacity, that’s certainly something that we may do.”
Mr. Obama’s weeklong trip includes time in Senegal and Tanzania, as well as South Africa, and marks his first extended stay on the continent as president.
Aides said he plans to hit upon a range of themes from human rights to empowering youth. But trade and investment will get top billing as the president makes the case for deepened economic engagement with African nations.
During the first decade of the 21st century, six of the world’s fastest-growing economies were in sub-Saharan Africa. U.S. trade with the region has been on the rise in recent years, with merchandise exports to sub-Saharan Africa climbing to $21.1 billion in 2011 and imports from sub-Saharan Africa growing to $74.2 billion, according to the Office of U.S. Trade Representative.
The administration’s objective, officials said, is to shift the focus in the U.S.-Africa relationship from providing assistance to creating partnerships.
While the need remains for programs such as PEPFAR, which provides AIDS relief, the White House also sees opportunities to invest and to support Africa’s economic development.
“The point is Africa doesn’t need handouts,” Mr. Rhodes said. “Africa needs trade. Africa needs economic growth. And this notion that the only way to make an impact is to announce a high-dollar assistance program doesn’t fit with the times as it relates to what Africans are looking for.”
Witney Schneidman, a fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Africa Growth Initiative, said the emergence of the African consumer is creating new opportunities for global investment.
“We’ve seen the emergence of a middle class, some 350 million people, that have disposable income, that they’ve got mortgages, cars, they’re investing in tuitions, and that’s really helping to change the landscape, and I think, fuel this growth,” he said.
Mr. Obama will make the case for investment in Africa in three countries with democratic governments, suggesting that democratic institutions are a key component in spurring economic growth.
Experts described the president’s destinations as safe choices, allowing him to visit East Africa, West Africa and the country Mr. Mandela led in the south. But as he makes his way across the continent, Mr. Obama likely will continue to face questions about why he won’t be visiting Kenya, the homeland of his father’s family.
A primary concern is that Kenya’s president and deputy president are facing war-crimes charges for election violence. The country still holds a special place in Mr. Obama’s heart, Mr. Rhodes said, but “it just wasn’t the best time for the president to travel to Kenya at this point.”
Kenyans are disappointed by Mr. Obama’s decision, said Mwangi Kimenyi, director of the Brookings Africa Growth Initiative, adding that Mr. Obama’s trip is a reminder that elections—including Kenya’s presidential contests–have consequences.
Write to Colleen McCain Nelson at colleen.nelson@wsj.com
A version of this article appeared June 27, 2013, on page A12 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Obama Starts Africa Trip Shadowed by Mandela’s Poor Health.

Original post: Obama’s Africa Trip Clouded by Mandela’s Poor Health