Even though U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said his recent tour of Africa evoked an "emotional twinge," and although many of the Africans he met with called him "brother," let us not be fooled. Mr. Powell was returning to the land of his ancestors as the highest ranking Black American official to do so, and he was without a doubt carrying his master�s agenda.

At the dawn of the 21st century, Africa stands at a crossroads. On the one hand, she is emerging as a continent determined to take control of her own destiny�witness the formation of the African Union. On the other hand, she still is mired in war, famine and disease, all of which bog down her top thinkers�those that have not fled to greener pastures and money of the west.

The question is, where does America stand as Africa considers her future?

Past U.S. activities in Africa involved propping up dictators and helping to assassinate leaders like Patrice Lumumba and others who wanted to liberate the masses in ways the U.S. did not appreciate. Furthermore, the U.S. government came to the anti-apartheid table only when it was clear that the racist South African government could not last.

If the United States and those developed countries that lament the condition of Africa really wanted to change Africa�s condition, she would become a more progressive continent over night. The reality is that the developed western nations need the wealth of Africa to maintain their own standards of living.

And they even confront and undermine each other to make sure they have access to this wealth, just as they fought each other to gain access to the abundance of Black African bodies to be used as chattel slaves.

Mr. Powell�s tour coincides with the announcement that the African Union will replace the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the organization formed 38 years ago that served as a mediating ground for African states as they plotted their post-colonial futures. The African Union will establish an African parliament, a common currency, a defense force and a coordinated economic strategy for the continent.

A key player in the establishment of the African Union is Libya�s Col. Muammar Gadhafi, a native of the continent whose influence reaches from Tripoli to Cape Coast. Other significant players in the fight for influence in Africa are France and Britain. The United States as the world�s superpower needs to colonize Africa to her interests so that she can remain a superpower. Thus, Mr. Powell�s tour.

No doubt, Mr. Powell is genuinely concerned about the land of his ancestors. His insistence is what is making Africa more than just a byword in an administration that openly admitted that Africa was of no strategic importance to the United States.

And while Bush puts up that facade that the U.S. has no real interest in Africa, he will continue to work to make sure that U.S. foreign policy is in step with the wishes of his oil buddies and the multi-national corporations that fill his campaign coffers.

"War, genocide, disease, famine, corruption, poverty and the plague of AIDS have left the continent prostrate," is how one newspaper editorialized Africa�s condition. The question is, Who does Africa pray to in her prostrated position?

The United States would certainly desire African leaders to bow down to her.