Jesse Jackson, whose brand of black politics has been displaced momentarily with the emergence of Barack Obama, was in the news recently after he was crowned a prince in Cote d’Ivoire. Because the Agni had crowned the recently deceased Michael Jackson as a prince in 1992, much of the coverage of the event, made that link. But as this video, shows Jackson’s visit was significant for other reasons: Jackson was invited by the Young Patriots, who are supporters of the country’s controversial President Laurent Gbagbo, who promotes his “Ivoirité” (a mix of tribalism and xenophobia)–basically a move to prevent large numbers of the country’s people to participate in its politics, because they are “not really Ivorian;” i.e. presumably from Burkina Faso. This also explain much of the origins of the civil war between Gbagbo’s government and political opponents in the country’s north.

Though Jackson was quick to point out that he did not come to Cote d’Ivoire to endorse a candidate, “but to endorse a process,” his hosts probably saw this as an endorsement of their politics. Ivorian elections are set for November this year.

The whole affair also to points to the hit and miss character of how how Jackson engages with the continent of his ancestors.

Deservedly, Jackson has been praised for his role in antiapartheid resistance – he played a leading role in winning support among blacks and progressive whites for sanctions against South Africa’s racist regime. At the same time, he has gotten Africa policy very wrong.

One such case was in 1994, when human rights groups in Nigeria criticized him for being too close to the military regime.  The New York Times summarized activists’ opposition:  “They say he has long been a supporter of the former military dictator, Ibrahim Babangida, and has been an unsteady and unreliable advocate for democracy in sub-Saharan Africa.” Babangida ruled Nigeria between 1985 and 1993 when he tried to stage manage the transition to democracy, only to prepare the way for the more repressive regime of Sani Abacha, who Jackson was trying to convince to implement democratic rule but which activists say Jackson is too close to.  Some of Jackson’s most high profile critics at the time included Wole Soyinka, and Beko Ransome-Kuti, a lawyer and brother of Fela Kuti, who described Jackson was a “friend and collaborator of the military oligarchy in Nigeria.”

His coddling Gbagbo and his movement can be added to the misses list.