General William E. "Kip" Ward -- Commander Of Africom (Photo: Africom)Into Africa -- Wall Street Journal
America's newest military command.
The Department of Defense this week "stood up" a military command dedicated to Africa. It's perhaps not a moment too soon, as the current standoff in the waters off Somalia over a hijacked Ukrainian ship carrying Russian arms suggests.
AfriCom joins the five other geographic commands of the U.S. military and is an acknowledgment of the growing strategic importance of the continent. For now, the command will be headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, rather than in any African country -- a decision that itself speaks volumes about the region's instability. The U.S. already has a base in Djibouti, where a force of about 1,500 is poised to respond rapidly to crises in the Horn of Africa.
The new command will work with African nations to achieve -- as its explanatory material puts it -- "a more stable environment in which political and economic growth can take place." Toward that nonmilitary end, and unlike other commands, the four-star Army general at the top of AfriCom has a civilian deputy from the State Department. AfriCom will also provide military training to African countries and support the African Union's standby force.
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My Comment: The issue of piracy will probably be the first major issue that this command will start to examine. Let us hope that the right decisions will be made.
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