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. Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/082 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)

3. Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/083 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

4. Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/084 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

5. Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/085 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

6. Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/086 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

7. Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/087 Africa’s Arc of Instability: add Kenya, DRC and Central Africa Republic

8. Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/088 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

9. Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/089

10. 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

11. Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/0811 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

12. Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/0812 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

13. Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/0813 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

14. Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/0814 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

15. Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/0815 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

16. Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/0816 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

17. Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/0817 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

18. Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/0818 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

19. Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/0819 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

20. Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/0820 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

21. Africom - Parliament Presentation 20/02/0821 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.