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AFRICOM Enters the Blogosphere

The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) was created last February to coordinate U.S. military activities on the continent; Africa had previously been the shared responsibility of the European, Central, and Pacific commands. Last December 21, AFRICOM added a blog to its website to better communicate its mission. According to the initial blog post from General William Kip Ward, AFRICOM's commander:

As we build U.S. Africa Command, we want to talk to people about what the U.S. military is doing in Africa. Just as importantly, I want everyone on the staff to also listen and learn. So we have launched a new forum called AFRICOM Dialogue as a way for members of the Africa Command staff to describe what we're doing.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for transparency and dialogue. But it struck me... aside from the Nigerian scammers who relentlessly pound away at my inbox, how many Africans actually have Internet access? Turns out, not that many—about 4 percent.

So, I wish AFRICOM all the best with its blog, but I suspect that most of its earnest declarations of "mutual trust, respect, and confidence" in its African partners will go unnoticed by ... well, almost everyone that counts.

At least one African, though, has already chimed in: "With all due respect, AFRICOM is not needed whatsoever in Nigeria or anywhere else in the West African Sub-sahara," wrote "Olaopin in Unspecified." Good luck, AFRICOM.

Comments

How typical of U.S. operations abroad! Oblivious to anyone else's needs and priorities but their own!

Posted by: Virginia in Michigan on 01/14/08 at 1:13 PM Respond

Thanks for blogging about this. It's really amazing to me that no news outlets have done a major story on Africom. Danny Glover co-authored an op-ed in the Nation about it, and I blogged about it but it'd be nice to see some original reporting on this issue.

Alas, US mainstream media.

Posted by: Kenyon Farrow on 01/14/08 at 1:21 PM Respond

Thanks for your comments about the Africa Command website.

The Africa Command website is one way to communicate with international audiences. But there are others. Approximately 90 percent of people in African receive their news from broadcast media, the majority of those being radio listeners. Africa Command has facilited dozens of news conferences and interviews with radio, television and newspaper journalists from across Africa, including speakers of French, Arabic Portuguese and Zulu.

Internet penetration is at least 5 percent of the population in Algeria, Benin, Cape Verde, Egypt, Gabon, Kenya, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, Togo, Tunisia, and Zimbabwe. On average, 5 percent of all Africans have Internet access. That's 44 million people. There's a good chance some of them might have something important to say. If we take the time to listen.

Respectfully,
Vince Crawley
Public Affairs Office
U.S. Africa Command

Posted by: Vince Crawley on 01/14/08 at 3:59 PM Respond

Africom has been covered in African media and the blogosphere since it was officially announced, but largely ignored by the US mainstream media. It is curious that Africom claims to seek input now. I even wonder if the purpose of the Africom blog is to track and compile information on commentors electronically. There were no requests for input before Africom was announced, no working with the African Union regarding what Africa needs. Input from African countries and spokesmen has been generally ignored or belittled. As per Bush administration practice, Congress has been ignored. There was one Congressional hearing after Africom was announced, and little or no attention before or since.

For two eloquent voices writing on the subject of Africom, I recommend the testimony of Dr. Wafula Okumu before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health. Included here, Dr. Okumu spells out what Africans think of AFRICOM, why Africans are reluctant to embrace AFRICOM, and a number of misconceptions.
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/oku080207.htm

Samuel Makinde, the Chair of Security, Terrorism, and Counter-Terrorism Studies at Murdoch University in Perth Australia, and who writes a weekly column in Nairobi's Business Daily, has written an excellent article about Why AFRICOM has not won over Africans.
http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Opinion_20/Why_AFRICOM_Has_Not_Won_Over_Africans.shtml

I've been trying to track, link, and write about most of the documentation that is out there on my blog since February, when Africom was announced.

For excellent background information, well written, scholarly and well researched, it is worth looking at Understanding AFRICOM: A Contextual Reading of Empire's New Combatant Command.
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2007/02/understanding_a_1.html

Posted by: CrossedCrocodiles on 01/14/08 at 5:25 PM Respond

With due respect for CrossedCrocodiles, the U.S. Congress has convened at least four public hearings on the subject of Africa Command since the command was announced 11 months ago.

These hearings include:

Wednesday, November 14, 2007 – 10:00 am – 2118 Rayburn – Open / The full House Armed Services Committee will meet to receive testimony on Africa Command.
http://armedservices.house.gov/apps/list/speech/armedsvc_dem/skeltonos111407.shtml

Witnesses:
The Honorable Ryan Henry, Principal Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
http://armedservices.house.gov/pdfs/FC111407/Henry_Testimony111407.pdf

Ambassador Stephen Mull, Acting Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
http://armedservices.house.gov/pdfs/FC111407/Mull_Testimony111407.pdf

General William E. “Kip” Ward, USA, Commander U.S. Africa Command
http://armedservices.house.gov/pdfs/FC111407/Ward_Testimony111407.pdf
---------

UNITED STATES SENATE
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
Thursday, September 27, 2007
9:30 AM
Room SH-216, Hart Senate Office Building

To consider the following nomination:

General William E. Ward, USA, for reappointment to the grade of general
and to be Commander,
United States Africa Command
http://www.senate.gov/~armed_services/statemnt/2007/September/Ward%2009-27-07.pdf
---------
August 2, 2007

Africa Command: Opportunity for Enhanced Engagement or the Militarization of U.S.-Africa Relations?
House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/37068.pdf

Witnesses included:
The Honorable Donald M. Payne , The Honorable Michael E. Hess, The Honorable Stephen D. Mull, Ms. Theresa M. Whelan, Mr. Kurt Shillinger, Wafula Okumu, Ph.D., J. Peter Pham, Ph.D.
----------
August 1, 2007
U.S. Senate Foreign Relatons Committee:
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Exploring The U.S. Africa Command And A New Strategic Relationship With Africa
Time: 9:30 A.M.
Place: 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building
http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2007/hrg070801a.html

Witnesses:
Witnesses:
Panel 1
The Honorable Jendayi E. Frazer
Assistant Secretary for African Affairs
Department of State
Washington, DC
Ms. Theresa Whelan
Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs
Department of Defense
Washington, DC
The Honorable Michael Hess
Assistant Administrator
Bureau of Democracy, Conflict, and
Humanitarian Assistance
Agency for International Development
Washington, DC
Panel 2
Dr. J. Stephen Morrison
Executive Director,
HIV/AIDS Task Force and Director, Africa Program
Center for Strategic and International Studies
Washington, DC
Mr. Mark Malan
Peacebuilding Program Officer
Refugees International
Washington, DC
Major General Jonathan S. Gration, USAF (Ret.)
Former Director
Strategy, Policy, and Assessments
United States European Command

-------------

In addition, pages 37-38 of the written testimony of General Bantz J. Craddock, Commander U.S. European Command, contains a statement on Africa Command during testimony March 15, 2007, before the House Armed Services Committee.
http://armedservices.house.gov/pdfs/FCeucom031507/Craddock_Testimony031507.pdf

Posted by: Vince Crawley on 01/15/08 at 3:10 PM Respond