United States Africa Command

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United States Africa Command
The Emblem of the United States Africa Command.
ActiveAuthorized: February 6 2007
Activation: September 30 2008
CountryUnited States
TypeUnified Combatant Command
HeadquartersKelley Barracks, in Stuttgart, Germany
Commanders
Combatant CommanderGeneral William E. Ward, USA
Deputy for
Military Operations		Vice Admiral Robert T. Moeller, USN
Deputy for
Civil-Military Activities		Mary Carlin Yates, State Department

The United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM or AFRICOM) is a new Unified Combatant Command of the United States Department of Defense, to be responsible for U.S. military operations in and military relations with 53 African nations - an area of responsibility covering all of Africa except Egypt - and to be fully operational by September 30 2008. The interim location for AFRICOM headquarters is Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany.[1] In June 2007 Ryan Henry, Principal Deputy Under-Secretary of Defense for Policy, said that the latest plans envisage "a distributed command" that would be "networked" across several countries rather than a single combatant command headquarters.[2]

Africa Command was established October 1 2007, as a sub-unified command, subordinate to U.S. European Command.

Geopolitical background (2001-2006)

Prior to the creation of AFRICOM, three Unified Commands have divided responsibility for U.S. military operations in Africa. The Center for Contemporary Conflict of the United States Navy notes that U.S. policy towards Africa, at least in the medium-term, looks to be largely defined by international terrorism, the increasing importance of African oil to American energy needs, and the dramatic expansion and improvement of Sino-African relations since the turn of the century.[3]

A U.S. military officer wrote the first public article calling for the formation of an African Command in 2001.[4] A January 2002 report from the African Oil Policy Initiative Group played a role in getting discussions about such a command started within the U.S. national security community, though their specific recommendation was to create a subcommand for the Gulf of Guinea.[5] The AOPIG report emphasised that the U.S. intelligence community has estimated that the United States will buy 25 percent of its oil from Africa by 2015. In general, areas of increasing interest to the United States in Africa include the Sahara/Sahel region,[6] over which Joint Task Force Aztec Silence is conducting anti-terrorist operations, the Horn of Africa, where Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa is located in Djibouti, and the Gulf of Guinea, whose oil resources are expected to gain in importance. While some wikipedia editors have said that the rise of tensions in the oil rich Niger Delta region, which supplies a large amount of oil to the United States, and the Nigerian Oil Crisis was a factor in the establishment of the new command, and said that there had been U.S. military deployments as a result, there has been no evidence cited.

The U.S. Congress has approved US$500 million for the Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Initiative (TSCTI) over six years to support countries involved in counterterrorism against alleged threats of Al Qaeda operating in African countries, primarily Algeria, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Nigeria, and Morocco.[7] This program builds upon the former Pan Sahel Initiative (PSI), which concluded in December 2004[8] and focused on weapon and drug trafficking, as well as counterterrorism.[9] Previous U.S. military activities in sub-Saharan Africa have included Special Forces associated Joint Combined Exchange Training.

As a result of the 2004 global posture review, the Pentagon began implementing a number of Cooperative Security Locations (CSLs) and Forward Operating Sites (FOSs) across the African continent, through USEUCOM. These locations, along with Camp Lemonier in Djibouti, would form the basis of AFRICOM facilities on the continent.

Creation of AFRICOM (2006-2008)

Authorization

In mid 2006, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld formed a planning team to advise on requirements for establishing a new Unified Command for the African continent. In early December, he made a recommendation to President George W. Bush, who authorized the new command on the same day Rumsfeld left office.[10] The creation of USAFRICOM was reported in December 2006 by the Mideast edition of Stars and Stripes. According to then-Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Mullen, President George W. Bush had made the decision on December 15 2006 to establish the new command.[11] Previous speculation on the new command included a Time magazine August 24, 2006 story claiming General William E. Ward might be appointed as its first commander. However, General Ward told Aviation Week reporters in early January 2007 final approval had not yet been given.[12]

On February 6 2007, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced to the Senate Armed Services Committee that President George W. Bush had given authority to create the new African Command.[13] U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Robert Moeller was named as Executive Director, head of the transition team.[14] He arrived at Kelley Barracks on February 26, 2007.[1]

Selecting a headquarters

The command will work initially from facilities in Stuttgart, Germany, but was eventually to be headquartered on the African continent. General William E. "Kip" Ward was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on September 28 as AFRICOM's first commander. On October 1 2007, AFRICOM officially stood up when the organization reached its "initial operating capability" (IOC).[15]

The Economist reported in June 2007 that African countries are competing to host the headquarters as it is perceived that it will bring money to the recipient country.[16] The Economist said '... Africans know that the superpower's military investment will bring money and jobs'.[17] However, unanticipated resistance by African nations forced the U.S. to declare in February 2008 that Africa Command would be headquartered in Stuttgart for the foreseeable future. Nigeria, South Africa and Botswana have explicitly opposed the establishment of a headquarters in Africa while other nations have expressed deep reservations about its creation, "claiming it could signal an unwanted expansion of American military influence or turn Africa into another battleground in the global war on terror."[18] [19] [20]

Some nations have voiced interest in learning more about the command, but only Liberia has publicly expressed willingness to host its headquarters. However, General Ward on February 18, 2008, told an audience at the Royal United Services Institute in London that "Our programs are the focus. ... To the degree that some portion of that staff headquarters being on the continent at some point in time will be a positive factor in helping us better deliver programs, and determining where that is, we will then work with a potential host nation and see if that could be done."[21] In an interview the same day with the BBC, Ward said that, since assuming command in October 2007, he has intended to focus on programs, not the location of the headquarters. "[S]ince my time as being appointed as the commander, it has always been our notion that the presence of the headquarters on the continent would come as a result of how we see it facilitating the delivery of our programs and where that might occur. Right now, there are no definite plans to take the headquarters or a portion of it to any particular location on the continent," Ward said.."[22] Ward added that publicly voiced concerns about Africa Command are generally based on misperceptions, and that when he explains the command to African government leaders, they are accepting of the command's programs and goals.

In general, U.S. Unified Combatant Commands have an HQ of their own in one location, subordinate service component HQs, sometimes one or two co-located with the main HQ or sometimes spread widely, and a wide range of operating locations, main bases, forward detachments, etc. USAFRICOM initially appears to be considering something slightly different; spreading the actually COCOM HQ over several locations, rather than having the COCOM HQ in one place and the putative 'U.S. Army Forces, Africa', 'U.S. Air Forces, Africa'(or a Numbered Air Force such as 17th Air Force, as Commander USAFE has speculated?[23]), and 'U.S. Naval Forces, Africa' in one to four separate locations. AFRICOM will not have the traditional J-type staff divisions, instead having outreach, plans and programs, knowledge development, operations and logistics, and resources branches.[24]

Scope of proposed operations

The focus of USAFRICOM's missions will be diplomatic, economic and humanitarian aid, aimed at prevention of conflict, rather than at military intervention, according to Theresa Whelan, Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs.[25] Steven Morrison of the Center for Strategic and International Studies agrees that the new command holds potential well beyond military oversight. Rather, its mission could be defined by an interagency mix, focusing the efforts of intelligence, diplomatic, health and aid experts.[10]

Official goals

The White House stated that:

"[AFRICOM] will strengthen our security cooperation with Africa and create new opportunities to bolster the capabilities of our partners in Africa. Africa Command will enhance our efforts to bring peace and security to the people of Africa and promote our common goals of development, health, education, democracy, and economic growth in Africa."[26]

The U.S. Department of State stated of AFRICOM that:

"The U.S. military’s new command center for Africa, Africa Command (AFRICOM), will play a supportive role as Africans continue to build democratic institutions and establish good governance across the continent. AFRICOM’S foremost mission is to help Africans achieve their own security, and to support African leadership efforts."[27]

Proposed geographic scope

Template:Africa countries imagemap

February 2007 Draft Map of the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) showing its creation from parts of USEUCOM, USCENTCOM and USPACOM. (Click to see enlarged image)

The territory of the command would consist of all of the African continent except for Egypt, which would remain under the direct responsibility of USCENTCOM, as it so closely relates to the Middle East.[25] USAFRICOM will also consist of the following island groups;

Most of Africa will be transferred from USEUCOM with the Horn of Africa and Sudan transferred from USCENTCOM and the islands of Madagascar and Mauritius transferred from USPACOM.

Controversy

There are reports that many Africa leaders are uncomfortable in accepting a permanent U.S. presence on the African continent. A State Department official was quoted as saying that the US has 'a big image problem down there'.[2] Consequently the 'networked, distributed command' idea mentioned above is now taking shape.[2]

The Sudan Tribune considers it likely that Ethiopia, considered to be one of the US' strongest allies in the region, will house USAFRICOM's headquarters.[29] Prime Minister Menes Zelawi stated in early November that Ethiopia would be willing to work together closely with USAFRICOM.[30] As Addis Ababa hosts the AU's headquarters and its new security organs, some sort of AFRICOM presence there is extremely likely.

On February 20 2008, in a speech in Accra, Ghana, however, President Bush denied that the United States was contemplating the construction of new bases on the African continent.[31] In that speech, Bush derided reports to the contrary as "baloney".

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Africa Command Transition Team leader arrives in Stuttgart". USAFRICOM. 2007-02-27. Retrieved 2007-02-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ a b c "Africa united in rejecting US request for military HQ" by Martin Tisdall in Washington. The Guardian, London, June 26, 2007.
  3. ^ Lawson, Letitia (2007). "U.S. Africa Policy Since the Cold War". Strategic Insights. VI (1). Retrieved 2007-03-10. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |quotes= and |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  4. ^ PARAMETERS, US Army War College Quarterly - Winter 2000-01
  5. ^ "With Mideast uncertainty, US turns to Africa for oil". Christian Science Monitor. 2002-05-23. Retrieved 2007-02-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ "US targets Sahara 'terrorist haven'". BBC. 2005-08-08. Retrieved 2007-02-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ "Africa to Get Its Own US Military Command". Antiwar.com. 2007-02-01. Retrieved 2007-02-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ "EUCOM: Operations and Initiatives". EUCOM. Retrieved 2007-02-06.
  9. ^ "Pan Sahel Initiative (PSI)". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 2007-02-06.
  10. ^ a b "Pentagon Creates Military Command for Africa". NPR, Morning Edition. 2007-02-07. Retrieved 2007-02-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ "Africa Command plans approved by Bush, DOD officials confirm". Stars and Stripes, Mideast edition. 2006-12-30. Retrieved 2007-02-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ "African Command Undecided, EUCOM Commander Says". Aviation Week. 2007-01-08. Retrieved 2007-02-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ "DoD Establishing U.S. Africa Command". US Department of Defense. 2007-02-06. Retrieved 2007-02-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ a b "U.S. Creating New Africa Command To Coordinate Military Efforts". US Department of State. 2007-02-07. Retrieved 2007-02-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ AFRICOM, U.S. Africa Command Reaches Initial Operating Capability, Press Release 08-001, October 1, 2007
  16. ^ The Economist, 'Policing the undergoverned spaces, June 16-22 issue, p.46
  17. ^ ibid., Economist, 16-22 June 2007
  18. ^ "US AFRICOM headquarters to remain in Germany for "foreseeable future", International Herald Tribune, 19 February 2008
  19. ^ "US drops Africa military HQ plan", BBC News, 18 February 2008
  20. ^ "America's Africa Misadventure" , World Press, 5 November 2007
  21. ^ "TRANSCRIPT: General Ward Outlines Vision for U.S. Africa Command", 18 February 2008
  22. ^ "TRANSCRIPT: AFRICOM's General Ward Interviewed by the BBC's Nick Childs", 18 February 2008
  23. ^ DefenseNews.com - U.S. AFRICOM Faces African Concerns - 10/01/07 17:39
  24. ^ Stars and Stripes, AFRICOM to depart from J-code structure, August 12, 2007
  25. ^ a b "US Creates Military Command for Africa". Voice of America. 2007-02-06. Retrieved 2007-02-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. ^ President Bush Creates a Department of Defense Unified Combatant Command for Africa
  27. ^ U.S. Department of State
  28. ^ "Pentagon setting up new U.S. command to oversee African missions". Associated Press. 2007-02-06. Retrieved 2007-02-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  29. ^ SudanTribune article : US army boss for Africa says no garrisons planned
  30. ^ SudanTribune article : Ethiopia ready to cooperate with US Africa Command - Zenawi
  31. ^ http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/02/20/ap4674005.html "Bush Says No New U.S. Bases in Africa"

External links

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