U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U.S. Africa Command meets with Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara in Abidjan Sept. 21, 2021. (Credit: Africom.mil) 

By  Gary Raynaldo    DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U.S. Africa Command, made a first ever visit to West African nation Côte d’Ivoire  last week to discuss cross-border cooperation to “improve and maintain security” across the region. It was part of the Gen. Townsend’s  multi-day visit to West Africa, which included stops in Ghana.  West Africa is in a dangerous, volatile state at the moment following military coups in Mali and most recently in Guinea- in addition to on-going terror threats in the Sahel region.  On 5 September 2021, President of Guinea Alpha Condé was captured by the country’s armed forces and forced from power in a coup d’état.  The soldiers announced that the government had been dissolved.  In Côte d’Ivoire, Townsend met with Ivoirian president Alassane Ouattara, Minister of Defense, Téné Birahima Ouattara, Chief of the Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. Lassina Doumbia, and other Ivorian security leaders to discuss cooperative training opportunities. Townsend also toured the International Counter-Terrorism Training Academy, French acronym AILCT, according to AFRICOM.

“The United States views Côte d’Ivoire as an area in this region of economic growth and relative stability.  The visits to Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have been very productive.  I was able to meet  with senior African leaders to talk about the importance of continuing our regional approach to addressing security issues and how we at U.S. Africa Command can help.” 

-U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U.S. Africa Command

U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U.S. Africa Command meets with Ghanaian military leaders after arriving in Ghana as part of four-day trip to West Africa beginning Sept. 20, 2021. (Credit: Africom.mil) 

In Ghana, Townsend met with the Ghanaian Air Chief Air Vice Marshall Frank Hanson and Air Commodore David Akrong, air force base commander in Tamale. Townsend also visited Soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade, which supports the U.S. Africa Command mission.

U.S. Army Gen. Townsend  meets with Côte d’Ivoire President Ouattara 

U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U.S. Africa Command meets with Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara, along with top government and military officials  in Abidjan Sept. 21, 2021. (Credit: Africom.mil) 

“I wanted to hear the views of your president on how we might help the states of this region enjoy the benefits we’re seeing here.”

-U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend  on  Côte d’Ivoire