Nigeria: Our Stand On African Command - U.S.
Vanguard (Lagos)
10 December 2007
Posted to the web 11 December 2007
Adekunle Aliyu
The first Commander of the US African Command, General William "KIP" Ward says the purpose of setting up the US Military Command Centre for Africa, Africa Command (AFRICOM), is to establish good governance across the continent and not to undermine the sovereignty of any country in the continent.
The United States Africa Command, also known as AFRICOM, is a new US Military headquarters devoted solely to Africa. It is the result of an internal reorganisation of the US military command structure, creating one administrative headquarters that is responsible to the Secretary of Defence for US military relations with 53 African countries.
Addressing journalists in Abuja with the Deputy Commander for Civil-Military Activities United States Africa Command, Ambassador Mary Carlin Yates, on the misconceptions surrounding the setting up of AFRICOM by the US command, Gen. Ward said effort to establish the command was to consolidate the activities of the three combatant commands under US Defence Department (European Command, Pacific Command and Central Command) into one headquarters organisation in order to serve African Partners better.
According to him, unifying the three commands will enable US to be more effective and proactive in helping African Countries, adding that the primary purpose of AFRICOM as a command was to help in building Africa nation partnership and strengthen existing bilateral relationship and activities.
His words: "Like the peace keeping, supporting training, military education, IMF training, HIV/AIDS awareness and treating programmes as well as finding new way of continuing to work with regional organizations here in Africa like ECOWAS etc.
"The focus of AFRICOM is not on military operations. It is on capacity building of the priorities of the military and security operations and organisations in Africa.
"USAFRICOM does not intend to station operational units across the African continents. It is not necessary to do because it may hinder partnerships in governments.
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The activities going on today with US and African partners is under the auspices of the three US commands, more number of countries come up to the continent to do some activities and then depart. That will be same with the establishment of US African command."
"USAFRICAN Command can only be established in a country that invites us and through consultations. USAFRICOM has no intention whatsoever of undermining African sovereignty nor cause instability anywhere on the continent," he said, stressing: "US AFRICOM is at the development stage, but we recognize that we have unique opportunities to perform beyond traditional military command structure to better meet our mission and desires and interest of our African partners.
"This is the first time US agency as a civilian government is taking a position like this, in recognition to achieve the goal of better economic prosperity for the peoples of Africa. We are ready to stand beside you and help you in your security need, and that is the purpose of establishment of AFRICOM," he added.
