Africom: hard up

The US military’s new command in charge of Africa is scheduled to become fully operational on Wednesday, from its new base -- in southern Germany. The fact that its headquarters are in Stuttgart rather than anywhere closer to its area of operations is a demonstration of its troubled birth, out of other organizations -- previously responsibility for Africa was the bailiwick of the European, Central and Pacific commands -- and its unusual mission, at least as originally understood.

The new command has made a rocky start, including having to tackle accusations that it was ‘militarising’ US relations with the African continent. With a significant assistance budget in theory and an unorthodox civil-military structure, critics argued that it might overshadow US development programmes in the region. According to some fearful regional leaders, it might also have provided the infrastructure for military intervention after natural resources. As a result, recent military outreach programmes in Africa led by the navy, a less objectionable and more obviously useful service for African nations, given problems of piracy off their waters.

Still, Africom offers significant potential benefits to US allies, as a centre for military training and assistance, and as a separate lobbyist for African interests. The challenge now is to pay for it. In spite of Africom selling it as a front line in the ‘war on terror’, Africa is at the bottom of Washington’s list of military priorities. Even before it starts, Africom faces a shortfall of 80% on its requested 389 million budget. For that reason alone, African governments might decide to relax for now.