It is an interesting read and as a broad brush it is both strong and weak.

Pretty good analysis of US perspectives and tendencies toward Africa.

Weak in that he makes the very same generalizations about Africa that he accuses the US of making. The article is supposed to be about South African perspectives; he spends most of his time speaking to "African" perspectives as if that is viable description.

Weak in that he asserts the US does not have interests in Africa as if it is a fact rather than his opinion.

Weak in that his history is off; we did not suddenly get interested in Africa in 1952. We were interested earlier--much earlier though we covered those interests through colonial powers. Note the US role in disclosing Leopold abuses in the Congo; the US creation of Liberia; US air bridge and naval oips using Africa in WWII; US interest in preservation of strategic mineral access in the Congo in WWII.

Tom