Updated, July 15, 2007
U.S. plans to establish, AFRICOM, a new unified command in Africa proceed, but not without challenges. The controversial command is suspected of bringing the US war on terror to African countries.
Potential Commander Named
On July 12, 2007, the nomination of General William Ward to head the new command was announced. Ward, a four start general, was at the time of his nomination the deputy commander of EUCOM (European Command) in Germany. His record of peacekeeping operations in Somalia and Bosnia, as well as combat experience, were expected to appeal to Congress. The AFRICOM post is put forward as primarily a stabilizing, non-combat force, but it is understood by Americans and Africans that combat against Al Qaeda or other groups may be part of the job.
African Nations Suspicious of AFRICOM Intentions
On July 15, South African news outlet, the Sunday Independent, described African concerns that the new U.S. command is designed entirely to help the U.S. in its military prosecution of the war on terror. The U.S. maintains that combat troops will not be housed in the new command.
June, 2007
The Pentagon is looking for an African country to call home for its newest unified command, AFRICOM. Although by President Bush in February 2007 in standard government issue language focused on health, development, education, democracy and growth, counterterrorism is one of the major goals of the command.
As of this week, Algeria has said No to the Pentagon request. Morocco and Botswana, however, have both indicated their interest in housing the US base.
Africa Defines Terrorism
Terrorism in African countries has a long indigenous history, and terrorism has meant different things at different points in time. South Africa during the Apartheid era, to take one example, enacted a Terrorism Act in 1967 which permitted the state to detain people perceived to be internal security threats indefinitely. Under the apartheid system, such threats were likely to be people who challenged the country's enforced racial segregation. In the post-apartheid era, yesterday's terrorists are likely to be thought of as freedom fighters.
These days, "terrorism" is most likely to refer to the Islamist or Al Qaeda inspired attacks, such as Al Qaeda's simultaneous attacks on U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998. For the U.S., those attacks represented a new threat against American security by jihadist groups aimed at harming the West. For Africans, the attacks represented a distinct form of imported terrorism whose primary threat was to African civilians.
In 1999, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) created the first African definition of terrorism. Called the OAU Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism (the Algiers Convention), the legal instrument distinguishes between violent struggles for self-determination and terrorism.
AFRICOM Faces Sensitivity about its Goals
Given the history of foreign intrusion in African nations, it's no surprise that AFRICOM is facing some resistance. The U.S., for its part, has marketed the Command to Africans as a more of a clearinghouse for security cooperation, within different parts of the U.S. government, and between U.S. and African institutions. Others are more cynical. A blog on public diplomacy, warfare and related issues.)
Under the current unified command system, which is how the U.S. Department of Defense assigns itself different areas of responsibility, military and related operations in Africa fall under three different Commands: European Command (EUCOM), Central Command (CENTCOM) and Pacific Command (PACOM). AFRICOM would treat Africa as one unit (with the exception of Egypt, which would remain in CENTCOM's domain, with other Middle Eastern countries). AFRICOM is temporarily housed in Stuttgart, Germany, and is expected to relocate in Africa in September, 2008.
About the photo: A pararescueman jumps from an HC-130 during a training mission recently. The Airman is from the 131st Rescue Squadron, which works hand in hand with the 449th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron. The training occurred while deployed in support of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa in Djibouti, Africa. (U.S. Air Force photo by 2nd Lt. Shannon Collins)
