In the twenty-first century, Africa has emerged as an important source of the United States' energy imports and the world's natural resources, the epicenter of the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, and one of the key battlegrounds in the fight against terrorism. Focusing on major players such as Nigeria, South Africa, and the African Union, this valuable collection offers a comprehensive portrait of Africa in a global political context, even as it argues forcefully that external solutions will never be sufficient to meet the myriad challenges facing the continent.