A New York Times op-ed titled, “Susan Rice and Africa’s Despots,” received harsh criticism from Michael O’Hanlon, of the Brookings Institution, who called the piece’s argument “absurd.”
During an appearance on Andrea Mitchell Reports, O’Hanlon said the piece didn’t “resonate well with him at first,” and he objected to the argument that suggested Rice “had been too friendly to various African strongmen.”
Salem Solomon, who wrote the editorial, said, Rice “has shown a surprising and unsettling sympathy for Africa’s despots.” These leaders included Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia; Isaias Afewerki of Eritrea, Jerry J. Rawlings of Ghana, Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, and Yoweri K. Museveni of Uganda.
O’Hanlon told NBC’s Andrea Mitchell that, after reading the op-ed, he did his own research and realized that some of the leaders mentioned had run five of the best countries in Africa, in terms of “economic importance and eternal stability,” making Rice’s relationship with them purposeful.
“It doesn’t mean everything’s perfect and I’m sure Ambassador Rice wouldn’t suggest everything perfect in countries like Uganda and Rwanda and Ethiopia and South Africa,” O’Hanlon said. “But nonetheless there’s been progress in all these places and we’ve sometimes had to work with people who weren’t perfect but this author made it seem like she was guilty by association.”








