The role played by American foreign policy in the democratic republic of Congo conflict in the cold war era

Abstract

This project has attempted to argue that the US foreign policy greatly contributed to the crisis in the DRC in the Cold War era. The argument is based on the fact that the Congress formulated the US foreign policy to benefit the Americans and not the Africans. Based on the realist theory the foreign policy was geared towards achieving the goals of the Congress at any given time. The US foreign policy kept on shitting according to the government agenda and the doctrine of the time. The underlying principle was to protect American interests abroad at any cost. As long as no one interfered with their interests in the DRC. the US took a low position. When there was a threat the foreign policy changed. They resorted to any means necessary to save their interests. It is this continuity and change of American foreign policy that is the concern of this project. The fact that America supported an oppressive regime for over three decades raises an ethical question. If the US foreign policy was to protect democracy globally, then the case of DRC was a mere contradiction. Democracy became compromised to protect the interests of state. A whole chapter deals with continuity and change of American foreign policy. It is by analysing the process by which the Congress formulates the foreign policy that we can begin to comprehend the case of DRC. By so doing we are able to understand why America supported the Mobutu regime while claiming that he was America's best friend and the most valued friend in the continent of Africa.