Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III briefs the press from the Pentagon Briefing Room, Washington, D.C., Feb. 19, 2021. (DoD Photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jack Sanders).
By Gary Raynaldo DIPLOMATIC TIMES
WASHINGTON – PENTAGON – Many African leaders are growing weary of the surge in terrorist attacks in the West African Sahel region and are feeling helpless as the security situation spirals out of control. Intercommunal violence and persistent attacks by extremists, continue to undermine peace and security across West Africa despite the presence of thousands of French and UN troops. And the sudden death of Chad President Idriss Déby Itno last month has created further instability in the region. Some leaders are now appealing to the U.S. to get more deeply involved in African security. Last week, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, in a virtual meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, requested that the United States move the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) headquarters from Stuttgart, Germany to Africa. “Considering the growing security challenges in West and Central Africa, Gulf of Guinea, Lake Chad region and the Sahel weighing heavily on Africa underscores the need for the United States to consider relocating Africom headquarters from Stuttgart in Germany to Africa, and near the theater of operations,” Buhari said, according to a transcript of the call released by the State Department. Last year, under the Trump administration, U.S. Africa Command launched a search for a new headquarters for its Germany-based unit either somewhere else in Europe or the United States as American troops pulled out.
U.S. Seeking to Improve Counter-Terror Efforts With African Partners: Pentagon
(Photo credit: Gary Raynaldo ©Diplomatic Times) Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby briefs reporters at Pentagon headquarters in Washington D.C. May 5, 2021.
When asked whether the plans to move would continue under President Biden’s administration, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in April that he would not “relitigate” the decision “when Africom was established about where it was going to be based, and it was decided to base it in Europe.” But Kirby did say he was unaware of any current plans to change the headquarters’ location.
At a May 5 press briefing, Kirby said there is “a lot of counter terrorism cooperation that’s going on in Africa”, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin “is committed to continuing that level of cooperation and that work with our African partners going forward. And we do have partnerships throughout the continent that we value and that we’re trying to improve and make better. There’s going to be no change in his focus on the continent or our security challenges, our common interest and our national security objectives there.”
There are approximately 1,200 military personnel assigned to AFRICOM headquarters. The command stood up in 2008 to protect and advance U.S. national interests in Africa and develop capable, professional partner nation military forces there and has been headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany since its inception. AFRICOM is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense, headquartered at Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart. It is responsible for U.S. military operations, including fighting regional conflicts and maintaining military relations with 53 African nations. Its area of responsibility covers all of Africa except Egypt, which is within the area of responsibility of the United States Central Command.
