The Foreign Service Journal, December 2010

F OCUS ON M ULT I LATERAL D I PLOMACY 22 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 0 W ORKING ON M ANY F RONTS AT THE A FRICAN U NION he United States established its mission to the AfricanUnion in 2006 to engagemore fully in multilateral diplomacy with the 53-nation organization headquartered in Addis Ababa that seeks to speak with one voice for the African continent. The mission (hereafter re- ferred to as USAU) works with the African Union on transnational issues and can report a number of recent suc- cesses. Strengthening Security Cooperation One example of this work is USAU’s effort to address the transnational issues inherent in securing the coastlines and the coastal waterways that have tributaries leading into the interior of African nations. With assets from the Combined Joint Task Force for theHorn of Africa and the Africa Com- mand, our mission is working with the AfricanUnion’s Peace and Security Council to help develop a comprehensive con- tinental maritime strategy. USAU has led the effort to have African Union repre- sentation at U.S.-sponsoredmaritime conferences and train- ing operations. We also provide technical assistance and capacity building in planning and operations. USAU se- cured participation by the African Union Commission and the A.U. Peace and Security Operations Department in an October conference in Stuttgart, sponsored by the StateDe- partment and AFRICOM. Related to maritime security is the issue of drug traffick- ing. Responding to a request from the AfricanUnion Com- mission, USAU coordinated a conference in Addis Ababa that brought together State, AFRICOMand the A.U. com- missions on peace and security, social affairs and political af- fairs. The conference focused on developing a strategy to address the problems related to drug trafficking fromSouth and Central America through Africa en route to Europe. Promoting Good Governance To strengthen African democratic institutions, USAU used funds from the U.S. Agency for International Devel- opment to help the A.U. establish a Democracy and Elec- T HE U.S. MISSION TO THE A.U. ADDRESSES REGIONAL PROBLEMS AND AIMS TO STRENGTHEN A MERICA ’ S TIES TO INDIVIDUAL A FRICAN COUNTRIES IN THE PROCESS . B Y M ICHAEL A. B ATTLE Michael A. Battle has been the U.S. ambassador to the African Union since September 2009. From 2003 to 2009, Ambassador Battle was president of the Interdenomina- tional Theological Center in Atlanta, Ga. Prior to that, among many notable achievements, Amb. Battle served as vice president of the American Committee on Africa from 1994 to 1998, participated in 1994 as an observer of the first free election in South Africa, and was liaison between the Hampton University Ministers’ Conference and the South African Council of Churches. T