AFP quotes the Secretary-General (and #2) of the Arab League as mentioning that aid promised for Somalia, Darfur and the Palestinian Authority has not materialized. This will be a topic of discussion at the upcoming League summit in late March.

There are also linkages between the Arab League and the African Union. Unless there is anoutbreak of Penguin Militant Fundamentalism, Africa remains the last great opportunity to screw up -- or enhance -- relationships on a continental level.

Given that the natives of Darfur are Muslim but not Arab, I found Darfur's inclusion slightly surprising, but it was mentioned that the League is strongly supportive of the African Union. While the leadership of Sudan, before the north-south coalition ended the main civil war, was strongly Arab and Islamist, it is interesting that the Arab League recognizes Darfur as a responsibility. The President of Sudan has made it clear he will oppose UN-led operations, but will accept them when run by the AU, even with UN components.

From the Sudan Tribune (a Paris-based website I have found to be generally reliable),

The AU’s Salim Ahmed Salim and the UN’s Jan Eliasson on Saturday briefed President Omar Hassan Al Bashir on the outcome of the discussions they held with senior government officials and both signatories and non-signatories to the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA).

President Al Bashir “stressed the commitment of the Government to support the dialogue with non-DPA signatories and expressed Sudan’s keenness to improve relations with Chad,” according to the UN Mission in the country (UNMIS), which said the Sudanese leader also pledged to boost humanitarian work and cooperate with UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Remember that the Arab countries of North Africa belong both to the African Union (with a special status for Morocco) and the Arab League. This relationship may well be a US channel once the African Command is up and operating, but that is a subset of what I see as the importance of Africa to US policy. Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa has had mixed reviews from people I know who visited it; some say it is quite effective while one reporter, with excellent military contacts, said it is "smoke and mirrors."

Again, Africa is the last US opportunity to screw up things on a continental basis -- or to learn from mistakes and build positive relationships. Positive relationships could very well include African Muslims. My own West African Muslim friends comment that the subsaharan brand of Islam, as with subsaharan Catholicism and other Christian religions, tends to be more relaxed than in the Middle East. While there are fanatics there, like anyplace else, there also are opportunities for constructive engagement.

Even if he doesn't go farther in the primaries, Obama is extremely visible in Africa. Should he not run and/or win in 2008, there would be few better special envoys. This is something a winner of either party should remember.