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Ahmadinejad in West Africa: What Iranian Outreach to the Region Reveals about Tehran's Foreign Policy
(American Enterprise Institute) Charlie Szrom - Iranian President Ahmadinejad continued efforts to cultivate relationships with West African countries in a trip to the region last July. Iran has dramatically increased its economic activity in the region and laid the groundwork for further expansion: the value of 2009 exports to the Ivory Coast, Niger, and Senegal was roughly 2,700, 2,800, and 3,600 percent higher (respectively) than 2000 exports. Tehran has also experienced setbacks in the region: Nigeria voted for sanctions on Iran at the UN in June 2010, while Mali, Mauritania, and other West African nations continue to cooperate on counterterrorism with the U.S.