Africa's strategic importance to the United States - both with respect to Washington's "war on terrorism" and the growing competition with China for access to energy supplies and other raw materials - should be given more attention by policy-makers and the public, according to a major new report by the influential Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). The 139-page report, which charges the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush with lacking a comprehensive, long-term strategy for dealing with the region, calls on Washington to upgrade its diplomatic and intelligence capabilities in the region by appointing an ambassador to the African Union (AU) and opening more missions in key African cities, particularly in energy-producing countries.