MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA: "Barack Obama and Africa: How different is his policy? Barack Obama said all the right things about Africa--and left a few ticklish ones unsaid. The tone may shift a bit but the policy will be similar to George Bush's," The Economist, 18 July 2009.

He says he won't throw good money at bad governments, and then promises even more aid (the vague promise of $63B).

More to another point I made back in the Feb Esquire: "The deeper truth is that Africa is not high on the American president's agenda."