US Army anti-African terorrist command in Germany
The United States has created Africom, a unified military command, expected to reinforce their ongoing efforts against Al Qaida on the continent
The US was unable however to find a home for this new command on the African continent. Having been turned down by friendly countries such as Morocco, South Africa, and Liberia, Africom's headquarters have finally been installed in Stuttgart, Germany.
The creation of Africom, headed by General William Ward, the highest ranking African-American in the US Army is a controversial event. Intended to "coordinate all U.S. military and security interest on the entire continent", excluding Egypt. This new command has proved in no uncertain terms Washington's increased commitment to Africa. The US already has a military base in Djibouti, as do the French, and the US has also participated directly in anti-terrorist operations in the Horn of Africa and in Kenya.
In Africa, Africom has a number of detractors, who view this as the US dragging the continent into the Bush administration's "War on Terror". Critics are concerned that it militarizes Washington's approach to the continent, leaving development on the way-side.
All this with a backdrop of strategic rivalries at play, as China becomes increasingly present, and the ongoing hunt for al-Qaida networks which managed to settle in a few lawless areas, most notably Somalia. Oil is also an ulterior motive. Nigeria is considered an American oil reserve in case of a crisis in the Gulf.
One after the other countries that were slated for basing Africom dropped out of the race, fearing becoming likely targets for al-Qaida. This is the case of Morocco and Algeria, already in the crosshairs of Islamist terrorism in the past few years, and South Africa, which is opposed to any non-African bases on the continent. Liberia or the island nation of Sao Tome could be the site of any future installation.
Initially, the United States had planned to open several small regional bases in Africa, north, west and south; this project has been paused due to its difficult implementation.
Settling for Germany is a fallback position. Making the best out of an embarrassing situation, the Americans note that the choice of Stuttgart was due in part to the modern NATO and US logistical installations already in place since 1948. But this choice has irked the Germans, keen on developing their own African policy.
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