Highlights
– AFRICOM has been forced to scale back ambitions due to African opposition and protest from aid groups
– Due to begin operations on October 1, 2008, AFRICOM will remain in Stuggart, Germany
– The United States has largely failed in promoting AFRICOM on the African continent
The United States (US) Department of Defense (DoD) says it is committed to launching its new Africa Command (AFRICOM) on time on October 1, 2008, and with the same capabilities as other major US military commands.
Planning for AFRICOM began in early 2006, when the Bush administration designated the continent an area of “strategic concern” and policymakers cited a number of “pre-conflict” situations there. The new command was to coordinate US military and security interests on the continent, interests that were previously managed by three regional commands.
Since its announcement, the development of AFRICOM has aimed to play a more comprehensive role on the continent. To achieve the goal of ensuring regional security throughout Africa, the command will focus on developing and maintaining interagency cooperation. AFRICOM’s intense focus on development and aid issues is part of an effort to prevent the spread of extremist ideologies, particularly those that fuel terrorism. Also, by using AFRICOM to boost local economies, the US hopes to improve its image throughout the continent.
Ultimately, AFRICOM was fashioned as a template for a new interagency structure that would coordinate “hard” and “soft” US power.
Deploying AFRICOM, Problematic
As African governments continue their refusal to host it and amid staunch protests by international aid groups to expand the military’s role in economic development on the continent, AFRICOM has been forced to scale back its ambitions. What US officials portrayed as a simple organizational realignment, many African observers and aid groups now say is the start of an increased US military presence in Africa to secure resources, check China’s rising power on the continent, and bolster counter-terrorism efforts. In regards to oil, the US imported nearly 21 percent of its petroleum from Africa in 2007, more than what came from the Persian Gulf, highlighting Africa’s growing importance to US national security interests.
Despite an intense effort by the US government to convince several countries in Africa to host the new command, powerful and influential countries such as Nigeria and South Africa, remain hostile to the idea. Further, their resistance has helped dissuade others from assuming the role of host. President George W. Bush visited the continent in February 2008 where AFRICOM was a main topic of discussion. While President Bush attempted to convince several African leaders that the purpose was not to add military bases, he largely failed, as leaders ultimately remained skeptical of US intentions.
In the US, major non-governmental aid organizations protested that civilian-military “reconstruction teams” would operate together under heavy security to build local governing capacity and infrastructure, claiming it was ill-suited for non-conflict zones. In the opinion of many aid organizations and African governments, such a set up would draw unwanted attention and increased risk for development workers, as well as making the host country an attractive target for a terrorist attack by groups opposed to US influence in the region.
On top of failing to convince African leaders to host AFRICOM, nonmilitary jobs, created within the command to highlight new cooperation between the Pentagon and State Department have been difficult to fill and will initially total fewer than 50 of 1,3000 headquarters personnel. The plan to broaden the US military’s more traditional role to include development and relief tasks were curbed after mainly US-funded aid groups objected to working alongside troops, claiming they will then be associated with the US government and American foreign policy.
AFRICOM in the Near Future
AFRICOM, due to begin operations on October 1, 2008, will continue to be based in Stuggart, Germany, for the foreseeable future. Five smaller regional offices planned for the continent will remain on hold while the military continues searching for places to put them.
In recent years, the US has demonstrated hard and fast commitment to sustainable development in the continent, more than tripling its assistance to Africa, to about US$9 billion annually, nearly half of which is spent on prevention and treatment for HIV-AIDS. US military training for African forces has also steadily increased, and US troops have undertaken humanitarian missions in several countries. However, despite the promise of new development and security partnerships, many Africans concluded that AFRICOM was primarily an extension of US counterterrorism policy and an effort to secure oil resources.
It has become clear that since its announcement, US leaders have largely failed in promoting AFRICOM. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was quoted as saying, “I think in some respects we probably didn’t do as good of job as we should have when we rolled out AFRICOM.” Many senior leaders are backtracking for what they are now admitting as a bad beginning for AFRICOM.
While the US military presently houses approximately 1,500 soldiers in Camp Lemonier in Djibouti, the Pentagon continues searching varies locales in Africa for a second base. Thus far, only Liberia has expressed interest in hosting AFRICOM’s headquarters. However, before an African nation allows an increased US presence on its soil, it must have the support of other African leaders and the people of Africa, something that will be very difficult, as many on the continent remain skeptical of US intentions.
