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In 2020, Sam Wilkins wrote “Does America Need an Africa Strategy?” where he argued that U.S. policy regarding Africa is insufficiently flexible and does not take into account the diverse circumstances of the many countries on the continent. In the wake of numerous geopolitical shifts in Africa, we invited Sam back to reflect on his article.Read more below.Image: U.S. Air Force (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Christopher Ruano)In your 2020 article, “Does America Need an Africa Strategy?” you argue that U.S. policy regarding Africa is insufficiently flexible and does not take into account the diverse circumstances of the many countries on the continent. Has this changed in the last four years and if so, how?The geopolitical shocks of the previous four years have made U.S. Africa strategy both more vital to have and more difficult to implement. The Biden administration’s 2022 Strategy Towards Sub-Saharan Africa provided a sound framework for U.S. policymakers as they faced a myriad of challenges. The major contours of the strategy proved apt, especially its centering of Africa’s importance to global affairs. We have seen African leaders assert roles in major global issues of today — from Ukraine to Gaza.The subsequent investment by the administration in Africa has been positive. Major deliverables included the high-volume senior cabinet official and vice-presidential visits (although many observers were disappointed by President Joe Biden’s failure to fulfil his pledge to visit the continent), the elevation of Kenya as a Major Non-NATO Ally, and funding for initiatives such as the Lobito Corridor. In multinational forums such as the United Nations, African states proved more supportive than anticipated around key issues like denouncing Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. African states also stepped into global leadership roles and, in the case of Kenya’s recent deployment of peacekeepers to Haiti, proved to be exporters of security.However, the wars in