International Relations Professor Charles Stith, director of the African Presidential Archives and Research Center (APARC) and former U.S. ambassador to Tanzania, just returned from an 8-nation trip to Africa where he met with current and former leader to discuss the Obama administration’s likely role on the continent. Stith was in Washington today to brief Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Sen. John Kerry on the trip.

“The United States has vital economic and security interests in Africa that must be addressed within the context of these complex and troubling times.  The Obama administration must balance its human rights concerns for issues like Darfur, Congo, and Zimbabwe with human development needs that are served by such initiatives as the Millennium Challenge Account, the Africa Education Initiative, and the African Growth and Opportunity Act.”

Contact Charles Stith, 617-353-5452, crstith@bu.edu