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AFRICOM Gains National Attention and Skepticism; AFJN Takes a Firm Stance |
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Over the last few weeks, AFRICOM has appeared in
several major media outlets. Until now, there has been very little
national-level press coverage of the command, reflecting a lack of knowledge
about AFRICOM among the general public. As such, we are delighted to see media exposure
that highlights not only the basic facts but also the criticisms that AFJN and
the AFRICOM Working Group have been discussing since August.
Newsweek, Dan Rather Reports , and NPR have each
provided commentary on AFRICOM that gives both sides to the issue, including
African rejections and hesitations over US military involvement in the
continent.
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Nigeria Adds Its Voice to AFRICOM Opposition |
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 Several weeks ago, the Southern African
Development Community (SADC) released a public objection to the presence of
American soldiers in all Southern African countries under the jurisdiction of
SADC. Similarly, over the past week, Nigeria
has begun efforts to freeze the progress of the US
military in erecting a military base in West Africa.
The oil-rich Gulf of Guinea has been a target of US wooing, as many
analysts argue that the US Africa Command’s (AFRICOM’s) primary objective will
be to protect US
oil interests. However, rising opposition from African governments as well as
military and economic organizations makes AFRICOM’s presence on the continent
increasingly contentious.
According to Defense sources within the Nigerian government,
“Nigeria is not taking the
issue lightly at all and the government is not going to allow the US to establish
any military base anywhere in the [Economic Community of West African States]
ECOWAS region.”
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AFRICOM Hearings Illustrate Fears and Inconsistencies |
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Before August recess on Capitol Hill, both the
House and the Senate found it pertinent to squeeze in two hearings on AFRICOM.
Amidst voting bells and frantic lobbyists, Senators from the Foreign Relations
Committee and Representatives from the House Subcommittee on Africa sat down to
hear testimony from officials and non-governmental experts on the creation of a
new US military command for Africa. Senator Feingold and Representative Payne
presided over the hearings and expressed general support for an African
command, though both articulated fears and skepticism about its design.
By most accounts, the jury is still out. Many members of
Congress...
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AFRICOM: Wrong for Liberia, Disastrous for Africa |
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by Ezekiel Pajibo and Emira Woods
Just two months after U.S. aerial bombardments began in Somalia, the Bush administration solidified its militaristic engagement with Africa. In February 2007, the Department of Defense announced the creation of a new U.S. Africa Command infrastructure, code name AFRICOM, to “coordinate all U.S. military and security interests throughout the continent.”
“This new command will strengthen our...
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