Paper long abstract

Since 1997, Britain’s engagement in and commitment to Africa has become increasingly idealised. Africa has essentially become a ‘sacred space’ in the Labour Government’s foreign policy, popularly viewed as untouched by grubby political or other interests, and widely – and relatively uncritically – supported. This has been the case for flagship initiatives in Africa such as military engagement in Sierra Leone, substantial aid and debt commitments and the Commission for Africa.

What is it about the way Britain engages with Africa that has enabled this idealisation to develop and persist? In particular, how do officials in African posts manage to support the idealisation whilst continuing to work with messy political realities on the ground?

This paper is based on fieldwork carried out in London, Abuja and Freetown in 2007. Through interviews with British politicians and officials it develops a picture of the ways in which Britain conceives a sense of the ideal in its – ostensibly political – work in Africa. It explores how well the ideal survives the journey from London to Africa and the ways in which officials conserve an idealised version of relationships when they are exposed to reality. The research findings suggest that those engaged are able to maintain an idealised British relationship with Africa by emptying it of political or historical context.