AFRICOM: New Developments

1. AFRICOM: New Developments Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs Parliament, 20 February 2008 Dr Michele Ruiters, IGD micheler@igd.org.za

2. US in Africa • Africa in US policy – Cold War interests • Post-Cold War – protecting economic interests, war on terror, maintained military presence in Africa • Africa Crisis Response Initiative (ACRI) – humanitarian support and end to genocide • African Contingency Operations Training Assistance (ACOTA) – provide African troops with offensive materiel. • Africa Regional Peacekeeping Programme (ARP) • Pan-Sahel Anti-terrorism Initiative (later known as the Trans-Sahara Counter Terrorism Initiative) Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/08

3. US in Africa cont. • Counter-Terrorism Initiative - $500 million over 6 years – programmes in Algeria, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Nigeria, and Morocco. • Builds upon the former Pan Sahel Initiative (PSI), which concluded in December 2004 (focus on weapon and drug trafficking, counterterrorism) • Previous U.S. military activities in sub-Saharan Africa have included Special Forces associated Joint Combined Exchange Training Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/08

4. Plus: • Camp Lemonier – Djibouti, Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), FOS (2000 personnel, operational since 2003) • Cooperative Security Location(CSL) – regional training in counter-terrorism, interdiction of drug trafficking, access to continent. Host nation facility, ‘lily pad’ to ‘leap frog’ into hotspots • Forward Operating Sites (FOS) – small permanent force or contract personnel, support sustained operations Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/08

5. US activity in the Horn: • Somalia – 1993 ‘Black Hawk Down’, Mission Restore Hope failed • Jan 2007 – gunship attack against 3 alleged al-Qaida operatives, men thought to be involved in the 1998 Kenya and Tanzania bombings • US aims to help Somalia regain political and economic stability through good governance and counter-terror initiatives Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/08

6. Importance of Horn to US • ‘We are arriving there early enough with an opportunity to help shape the environment, work toward a more secure environment and hopefully allow people the opportunity to choose a direction to go in their lives that steers them away from extremism’ – Navy Rear Admiral James Hart Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/08

7. Africa’s Arc of Instability: add Kenya, DRC and Central Africa Republic Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/08

8. Current US Command system • CENTCOM – East Africa, Central Asia, Middle East (27 countries – est 1983) • PACOM – East, South, Southeast Asia, Madagascar, Oceana, Alaska, Pacific islands • EUCOM- Europe, Turkey, former Soviet Union (- 5 Asian republics), Greenland, rest of Africa (92 countries) • NORTHCOM – North America • SOUTHCOM – South America Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/08

9. Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/08

10. AFRICOM’s configuration • First mooted by Rumsfeld mid-2006, Bush announcement 15 December 2006 • General William ‘Kip’ Ward to head command • No additional personnel, no base – official US stance • Crisis response configuration – but no immediate response planned (US) • Deepen military-to-military relations at request of African partner Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/08

11. Configuration cont. • AFRICOM to be based in Stuttgart, Germany under EUCOM until October 2008 • Not including Egypt – will remain under CENTCOM • Pacific Islands – Cabo Verde, São Tomé and Principé, Equatorial Guinea islands, Comoros, Madagascar, Seychelles, Mauritius Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/08

12. Rationale for AFRICOM • United States Africa Command to form part of the command structure across the world • AFRICOM to create synergies in US programmes (USAID, Depts of Defence, State, Energy, Treasury, Education, Health etc.) • Consolidation of 3 existing headquarters on continent – harmonising and rationalising US military. • Fear of China’s rise in Africa (India?) • Middle East ‘lost’ therefore Africa closest ‘base’ for US military interests Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/08

13. US interests in Africa • ‘War on terror’ counterweight – prevention of war • Strategic importance of Africa • Lily pad to the Middle East • Protect oil interests (10% US oil from Africa – West Africa could provide 25% of US by 2015) • Humanitarian • Rise of China • Peace, democracy, prosperity, stability in Africa • Total aid package = US$9 billion Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/08

14. Consequences of US Militarisation of Africa • Guns not negotiations • Exacerbate regional and cross-border tensions • Most-favoured nation status • Military only game in town • Militarisation of communities/societies • ‘Mission creep’ • Hyper-masculinity within fragile societies • Gender implications Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/08

15. Country responses to AFRICOM • Morocco, Algeria Libya against • Liberia initially welcoming • Kenya has long history with US military but reluctant to openly host AFRICOM • Ethiopia implicated in Somali invasion now reluctant to engage with AFRICOM idea • Nigeria against • SADC against – MP Lekota’s statement Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/08

16. African Union’s (AU) position • General Ward met with AU November 2007 • Peace and Security Council established to secure peace on the continent • Does not wish to violate sovereignty of member states • African solutions for African problems • African Union Standby Force and SADC Brigade Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/08

17. New conception of AFRICOM • US takes a step back February 2008: ‘stabilising partner’ • AFRICOM will be modified – focus on ‘added value’ and improved coordination of US assistance • Dept of Defence no longer lead, instead State Department will coordinate US departments Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/08

18. Change in Plans • AU rejected US plans to find host nation with continental consensus • Bilateral approach – US to meet with fragile/weak states during Bush visit • Even if AU or RECs object to US in Africa, not much can be done because of bilateral nature of agreement Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/08

19. Possible host/location: • Kenya – long term relationship with US training programme (listening posts) • Djibouti – Camp Lemonier • Ethiopia – withdrew because of AU location • Nigeria – not willing to give up space • Gulf of Guinea – already there • Rwanda – Kagame needs support for regime • Weak/fragile states Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/08

20. What’s to be done? • Unified position on AFRICOM via AU to be made public • AU Peace and Security Council to be strengthened to deal with outside ‘influences’ • Govern the relationship with outside partners irt military assistance from Europe and US • Ensure sovereignty (political, economic, geographic) • Need to guard against EPAs-style fallout Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/08

21. And…. • Strengthen national, regional and continental institutions to deal with poverty, health, education, and other issues that could lead to conflict • Facilitate communities’ involvement in their own development rather than allowing external involvement • Strengthen civil society’s access to government (national, regional and continental) to facilitate transparent and accountable governments. Thank you. Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/08