African countries faced with increasing security threats are slowly accepting the work of an American agency designed to run all of Washington’s military operations on the continent.
AlShabaab, Lord’s Resistance Army and political turmoil in Eastern Africa, Boko Haram in West Africa and terrorism in the Islamic Maghreb have all compelled the continent to seek support.
Now the leaders of the US Africa Command often known as Africom say they are receiving more requests from Africa compared to several years ago when the command was created.
“Africom as a headquarters with our components has had to mature from where we started to where we are now,” LtGen Steven A. Hummer, the Deputy Commander in charge Military Operations at Africom told African journalists on February 15, 2015.
“Now, the reflections that we get back are positive from most of the African countries. They see what we are trying to do and they agree it is because Africom, formed in October 2007, took over from three different command centres all of which were based outside Africa. They included the European Command, Pacific Command and the Central Command,” he said.
OPPOSED INTENTION
The creation of Africom was viewed with suspicion, with many countries led by Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria and Libya accusing the US of trying to militarise the African society.
Morocco also opposed any intentions to set up base.
US argued it was motivated by need to improve security, promote development, health, education and economic growth in Africa.
LtGen Hummer admits the news about its creation led to a misunderstanding.
“The announcement could have been a little better. it was announced that we were going to have a combat command for the continent of Africa. What would everybody think if it wasn’t followed up with what we were really trying to do?” he posed.
“The design of Africom was to develop defence institution to help security apparatus in various African countries. Again, it was the African countries themselves to ask for assistance, not all of them do.
“The first organisation of the Africom was very heavy in civilians. We had more civilians in the headquarters than we had the military. It was because we were going to do various theatre security programmes on the continent. It was important that we develop the relationship to the trust and credibility levels.”
MILITARY OPERATIONS
Africom says it turned to more military operations because of the changing circumstances in Africa.
For example, when chaos broke out in Mali and Libya, Africom’s association with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) was criticised.
“Africom was not necessarily prepared at that time to be involved in combat operations on the continent. That wasn’t necessarily going to be the design. There was no initial interest in any kind of militarisation of the continent,” argued LtGen Hummer.
“But forced into that kind of situation, NATO came together. Since that time, there was Benghazi [attack], Mali coup, South Sudan crisis, CAR and there have been other things with the latest being Ebola.”
It has since been involved in various operations, often influenced AlShabaab and Boko Haram.
One of the theatre security programmes is the Joint Task Force Horn of Africa [CJTFHOA].
It is responsible for Kenya, Ethiopia, Burundi, Somalia, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Somalia and the Seychelles.
Many of these countries are also part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom).
SECURITY DRILLS
A brief by the Command indicates that this are a set of security drills that enables “regional actors to neutralise extremist organisations.”
Africom says its efforts in this area are often indirect rather than combatant, often focused on military training, sharing of intelligence and crisis response.
In the Horn of Africa, Africom says it has been an indirect participant in war against AlShabaab.
And it is because Somalia and neighbours invited the US to help, he claimed.
“The grand majority of what we do is by and through the Djiboutian, the Ethiopians, the Kenyans, Ugandans, and Burundians that are part of the Amisom troop contributing countries in that fight. We continue to strategise with the amisom on what the next steps are.”
Early February, for example, about 80 Airmen from Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and the US were involved in an African Partnership Flight in Djibouti.
The event, which was being held for the first time in East Africa, is organised by Africom to discuss common standards and to cooperate.
INTERESTS OF THE US
But the Task Force also enables the US access and freedom of movement within the region to “protect and defend United States’ interests.
These interests go as far as in South Sudan, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Mozambique, Mauritania, and Sudan.
The target on the Eastern part is Alshabaab.
The Command is one of US regional military commands.
It has five components Airforce, Army, Marine, Navy and special operations components mainly involved in humanitarian operations.
It has about 2,000 personnel, who include soldiers, civilians and contracted experts.
Although Gen Hummer argues the Command was created to give “Africa much more attention”, it is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, something which could negate its mission as being distant.
AT ARMS LENGTH
The headquarters host the most of its staff at 1500.
Others are scattered in the United States in Florida, and in the UK.
Does this mean the Command is still at armslength with the continent?
The Command says involvement in Africa are coordinated through Defence attaches hosted at 38 US missions across Africa.
“We deal with countries that believe they are challenged in certain areas. There is a saying that Africa for African solutions. We believe that but we also believe that those solutions may require some outside assistance.
“There are countries that may realise that they need outside assistance, whether it is advice, education or resources and the United States through our various institutions can assist.”