During the Cold War, the United States and the USSR engaged in a zero-sum game throughout the globe; while mutually assured destruction prevented the two nuclear superpowers from fighting a hot war, they did conduct an extensive war of proxies on nearly every continent. In the 1970s, just as Saigon – and American influence in… Read More "The Search for Peace in Southern Africa – Oil, Angola, and the Proxy Wars"
The Overthrow of President Obote and Evacuation from Uganda
After a disputed election brought Milton Obote (at right) to power in Uganda in 1980, one of his opponents, Yoweri Museveni, led an armed resistance against the government. The subsequent Ugandan “Bush War” between Museveni’s National Resistance Army (NRA) and the government’s Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) lasted from 1981 to 1986. In 1983, ethnic… Read More "The Overthrow of President Obote and Evacuation from Uganda"
“You’re Outta Here!”: Getting Declared Persona Non Grata
When a nation declares a diplomat “persona non grata,” it is essentially kicking him or her out of the country. The host nation does not have to explain why it wants to PNG someone, but that person must leave the country in a given time period, often within 24-48 hours. Governments declare people persona non… Read More "“You’re Outta Here!”: Getting Declared Persona Non Grata"
Despite its less-than-auspicious opening on July 17th, 1955 (unexpected massive crowds, insufficient water and melting pavement), Disneyland has occupied an almost mythical place in people’s hearts for generations. Yet when you think of Disneyland, you picture kids running around and/or screaming, Mickey ears, incredible rides, turkey legs, and princesses – so many princesses. You probably… Read More "Disney World: The Happiest Diplomatic Meeting Place on Earth"
A Never-ending Tragedy — The Onset of the AIDS Crisis in Africa
The spread of AIDS in Africa in the 1980s and 90s presented unique challenges for U.S. diplomats suddenly faced with a public health epidemic. Not only did local hospitals and medical resources become overrun, diplomatic communities and Americans living abroad were threatened by the emergence of HIV/AIDS. While countries such as Uganda implemented crucial AIDS… Read More "A Never-ending Tragedy — The Onset of the AIDS Crisis in Africa"
Losing “The Congolese Bet” — The Belgian Congo’s Violent Road to Independence
Remembered as one of the most tragic victims of European imperialism, the Belgian Congo suffered decades of exploitation, violence, racism and repression. By restricting access to higher education and monopolizing political and military leadership positions, the Belgians maintained an iron hold over their resource-rich colony. Then, after a wave of African independence movements and without… Read More "Losing “The Congolese Bet” — The Belgian Congo’s Violent Road to Independence"
Jean Bédel Bokassa: The Man who Would be Emperor
Jean Bédel Bokassa ruled as President-for-life and later as Emperor of the Central African Republic from 1966 to 1979. In his youth he served in the French Colonial Army earning the rank of captain fighting in what would become Vietnam. Bokassa’s erratic and sometimes brutal regime began after he seized power in a military coup,… Read More "Jean Bédel Bokassa: The Man who Would be Emperor"
Known as the ‘Giant of Africa,’ Nigeria stretches across the continent like a patchwork quilt, sewn together from dozens of historically independent religious, ethnic and linguistic subgroups, all vying for political representation and control. After achieving independence in 1960, the infant nation struggled to maintain a fragile peace as members of the Muslim Hausa-Fulani ethnic… Read More "The Famine in Biafra — USAID’s Response to the Nigerian Civil War"
Nelson Mandela’s Road to the Presidency
May 9th, 1994 marked one of the most significant – and previously unimaginable – milestones in modern African history as Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as President of South Africa. A key figure in the African National Congress (ANC) since the early 1950’s, Mandela was repeatedly arrested for seditious activities. Although initially committed to non-violent protest,… Read More "Nelson Mandela’s Road to the Presidency"
Death of an FSO, As Remembered by His Widow
Dennis Keogh had been Political Counselor in South Africa from 1980-83 and made 25 trips to Namibia. In the spring of 1984, he agreed to serve for a month as head of the new U.S. Liaison Office (USLO) in Windhoek. In that troubled region, which South Africa had administered since World War I without a… Read More "Death of an FSO, As Remembered by His Widow"