Editors' foreword.(Editorial)

More than at any other time since the Cold War, Africa commands the attention of scholars, decisionmakers and the global public alike. The turn of the century has brought with it new strides in economic growth, political development and regional integration, even as the urgency of the continent's problems remains undiminished. It is this confluence of grave challenges and extraordinary opportunities that makes this issue of the Journal of International Affairs so timely.

To explore this fascinating moment, we offer a range of views from some of the leading scholars and practitioners working on and in Africa. From international security to regional cooperation; from the development of domestic civil society to new measurements of political progress; from American engagement to the role of other global actors, our contributors explore the myriad ways in which the continent is changing.

We begin with three perspectives on American engagement with Africa. In their piece, Princeton Lyman and Kathryn Robinette weigh the challenges facing the new administration in Washington and argue that the president should encourage democratic accountability and the development of trade capacity on the continent. Katherine Almquist looks back to offer an assessment of aid policy under the Bush administration and then asks how future development assistance can be made more effective. Only by marshaling sub-Saharan Africa's natural and human resources, she argues, can the region overcome the challenges of poverty and underdevelopment. The contrast between American and Chinese policies in Africa is the focus of David Shinn's contribution. While the United States still wields more influence in most of the continent, China is rapidly catching up. With similar interests, despite their very different approaches, Shinn posits that the two powers may find opportunities for cooperation.

Questions of regional and international security are the focus of our next four articles. With hijackings off the Somali coast grabbing headlines, James Kraska and Brian Wilson review the international legal framework for combating piracy and examine how African states and partners from beyond the region can join together to stem the tide of these attacks. With the international shipping industry already suffering from the global financial crisis, the mounting scale of the problem demands a comprehensive solution. Carrying on the theme of regional security cooperation, Guy Lamb and Dominique Dye examine intergovernmental arms control and disarmament agreements in sub-Saharan Africa. Although a range of instruments is in force in the region, their implementation suffers from a deficit of financial and political resources. With the continued availability of small arms and light weapons fueling conflict in numerous "hot spots," building capacity to enforce these agreements should be a priority. The International Criminal Court's (ICC) intervention in Sudan draws a critical response from Mahmood Mamdani. Situating the ICC indictment against Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir in its political and historical context, he argues that the document ignores the legacy of colonialism and the complex roots of conflict in Darfur. Mamdani's critique is a provocative reminder of the distortions that can result from oversimplification.

Next, we turn to the core questions of civil society, governance and development on the continent. With regional cooperation gaining a higher profile in the 21st century, Wafula Okumu, offers a critical assessment of the African Union's effort to find "African solutions to African problems." Despite the high ideals expressed at the ...