Jimmy Carter

==== Africa ====
[[File:Carter Nyerere, August 1977 - NARA 175790.jpg|thumb|right|alt=The Carters and Julius Nyerere standing next to each other outside.|First Lady [[Rosalynn Carter]], Tanzanian leader [[Julius Nyerere]], and Carter, 1977]]
[[File:Olusegun Obasanjo and Jimmy Carter-02.jpg|thumb|alt=Carter standing alongside Olusegun Obasanjo outside.|Carter with Nigerian leader [[Olusegun Obasanjo]] on April 1, 1978]]
In an address to the African officials at the United Nations on October 4, 1977, Carter stated the U.S.'s interest to "see a strong, vigorous, free, and prosperous Africa with as much of the control of government as possible in the hands of the residents of your countries" and pointed to their unified efforts on "the problem of how to resolve the Rhodesian, Zimbabwe question."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=6745 |title=United Nations Remarks at a Working Luncheon for Officials of African Nations |publisher=American Presidency Project |date=October 4, 1977 |access-date=August 31, 2021 |archive-date=March 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180311140601/http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=6745 |url-status=live }}</ref> At a news conference later that month, Carter outlined that the U.S. wanted to "work harmoniously with South Africa in dealing with the threats to peace in Namibia and in Zimbabwe in particular", as well as do away with racial issues such as apartheid, and for equal opportunities in other facets of society in the region.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=6849 |title=The President's News Conference |date=October 27, 1977 |access-date=August 31, 2021 |publisher=American Presidency Project |archive-date=October 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171023115834/http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=6849 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Carter visited Nigeria from March 31 to April 3, 1978, to improve relations;<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/03/31/archives/carter-trip-to-nigeria-culminates-long-effort-to-improve-relations.html |title=Carter Trip to Nigeria Culminates Long Effort to Improve Relations |first=Michael T. |last=Kaufman |date=March 31, 1978 |access-date=August 31, 2021 |newspaper=The New York Times |archive-date=May 31, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210531063017/https://www.nytimes.com/1978/03/31/archives/carter-trip-to-nigeria-culminates-long-effort-to-improve-relations.html |url-status=live }}</ref> the first U.S. president to do so.<ref name="history.state.gov">{{cite web |url=https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/travels/president/nigeria |title=Presidents' Travels to Nigeria (31 March — 3 April) |publisher=U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian |access-date=August 31, 2021 |archive-date=August 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818133750/https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/travels/president/nigeria |url-status=live }}</ref> He reiterated interest in convening a peace conference on Rhodesia that involved all parties and said the U.S. was moving as it could.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/04/03/archives/new-jersey-pages-carter-seeks-talks-including-all-sides-in-rhodesia.html |title=Carter Seeks Talks Including All Sides in Rhodesia Conflict |date=April 3, 1978 |access-date=August 31, 2021 |newspaper=The New York Times |archive-date=October 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211012042353/https://www.nytimes.com/1978/04/03/archives/new-jersey-pages-carter-seeks-talks-including-all-sides-in-rhodesia.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The elections of [[Margaret Thatcher]] as [[prime minister of the United Kingdom]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/05/04/archives/conservatives-win-british-vote-margaret-thatcher-first-woman-to.html |title=Conservatives Win British Vote; Margaret Thatcher First Woman to Head a European Government |date=May 4, 1979 |access-date=August 31, 2021 |newspaper=The New York Times |archive-date=September 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210907191715/https://www.nytimes.com/1979/05/04/archives/conservatives-win-british-vote-margaret-thatcher-first-woman-to.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Abel Muzorewa]] for [[Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Rhodesia]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/04/25/archives/muzorewa-party-wins-in-rhodesia-with-bare-majority-in-parliament.html |title=Rhodesian Election Ends with Turnout Put at 65 Percent |date=April 25, 1979 |access-date=August 31, 2021 |newspaper=The New York Times |archive-date=August 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816194436/https://www.nytimes.com/1979/04/25/archives/muzorewa-party-wins-in-rhodesia-with-bare-majority-in-parliament.html |url-status=live }}</ref> South Africa turning down a plan for [[South West Africa]]'s independence, and domestic opposition in Congress were seen as a heavy blow to the Carter administration's policy toward South Africa.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/05/14/archives/fight-over-rhodesia-sanctions-reflects-carter-bid-to-save-africa.html |title=Fight Over Rhodesia Sanctions Reflects Carter Bid to Save Africa Policy |date=May 14, 1979 |access-date=August 31, 2021 |newspaper=The New York Times |archive-date=July 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210703000906/https://www.nytimes.com/1979/05/14/archives/fight-over-rhodesia-sanctions-reflects-carter-bid-to-save-africa.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On May 16, 1979, the Senate voted in favor of lifting economic sanctions against [[Rhodesia]], seen by some Rhodesians and South Africans as a potentially fatal blow to joint diplomacy efforts the United States and Britain had pursued in the region for three years and any compromise between the Salisbury leaders and guerrillas.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/05/17/archives/rhodesia-south-africa-hail-move-in-senate-to-end-curb-on-salisbury.html |title=Rhodesia, South Africa Hail Move In Senate to End Curb on Salisbury |date=May 17, 1979 |access-date=August 31, 2021 |newspaper=The New York Times |archive-date=October 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211012010116/https://www.nytimes.com/1979/05/17/archives/rhodesia-south-africa-hail-move-in-senate-to-end-curb-on-salisbury.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On December 3, Secretary of State [[Cyrus Vance]] promised Senator [[Jesse Helms]] that when the British governor arrived in [[Harare|Salisbury]] to implement an agreed Lancaster House settlement and the electoral process began, the President would take prompt action to lift sanctions against Zimbabwe Rhodesia.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/12/04/archives/carter-promises-to-stop-sanctions-after-rhodesia-political.html |title=Carter Promises to Stop Sanctions After Rhodesia Political Settlement |date=December 4, 1979 |access-date=August 31, 2021 |newspaper=The New York Times |archive-date=August 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818111344/https://www.nytimes.com/1979/12/04/archives/carter-promises-to-stop-sanctions-after-rhodesia-political.html |url-status=live }}</ref>