Africa Command Begins its Premier Security Cooperation Conference
By Ken Fidler
U.S. AFRICOM Public Affairs
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RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany - General William E. Ward, commander of U.S. Africa Command (middle) and Ambassador Tony Holmes, deputy to the commander for civil military activities (on Ward's right), pose with representatives from U.S. embassies in Africa attending the Theater Security Cooperation Conference, November 16, 2009. During the conference, participants will review U.S. Africa Command's fiscal year 2010 security cooperation activities, highlight the component commands' unique roles, and build potential activities for fiscal years 2011 and 2012. (Photo by Michael J. Morris, U.S. Africa Command)

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany - General William E. Ward, commander of U.S. Africa Command, left, and Vice Admiral Robert Moeller, deputy to the commander for military operations, listen to a presentation by Dr. Monde Muyangwa, academic dean of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, November 16, 2009. The presentation was part of the Theater Security Cooperation Conference, which brings together approximately 500 stakeholders from U.S. Africa Command headquarters, its component commands, and various U.S. government agencies to build the command's potential activities for fiscal years 2011 and 2012. (Photo by Michael J. Morris, U.S. Africa Command)

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany - Major General Richard Sherlock, director of U.S. Africa Command's Strategy, Plans and Programs Directorate, addresses approximately 500 participants at the annual Theater Security Cooperation Conference, November 16, 2009. The conference brings together approximately 500 stakeholders from U.S. Africa Command headquarters, its component commands, and various U.S. government agencies to build the command's potential activities for fiscal years 2011 and 2012. (Photo by Air Force Technical Sergeant Daniel Lord)

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany - Jamil Baraka of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) explains the results of an ACSS security cooperation survey during the plenary session of the U.S. Africa Command Theater Security Cooperation Conference, November 16, 2009. The conference brings together approximately 500 stakeholders from U.S. Africa Command headquarters, its component commands, and various U.S. government agencies to build the command's potential activities for fiscal years 2011 and 2012. ACSS is one of five Department of Defense (DoD) regional centers for security studies, and one of the three that are integral components of the National Defense University (NDU). (Photo by Michael J. Morris, U.S. Africa Command)
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany, 
Nov 17, 2009 — U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) opened its annual Theater Security Cooperation Conference November 16, 2009, a premier event that builds the foundation for the command's activities with its African partners over the next three years.

The conference brings together approximately 500 stakeholders from U.S. Africa Command headquarters, its component commands, Department of State Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of the Secretary of Defense, U.S. Embassy country teams, and other U.S. government agencies. They will review the command's fiscal year 2010 security cooperation activities, highlight the component commands' unique roles, and build potential activities for fiscal years 2011 and 2012.

"Our priority is the delivery of programs on the continent that make a difference in a positive way and that contributes to its stability," said General William E. Ward, commander of U.S. Africa Command, during his opening remarks. "That's what it's about. And this conference synchronizes and aligns those efforts to maximize (our) potential for success."

During opening-day sessions, U.S. Africa Command's service component commands presented their activity plans for fiscal year 2010, highlighting the hundreds of events and military-to-military engagements designed to strengthen the capacities of African militaries.

The second day featured insight into the objectives and priorities of U.S. government agencies -- such as Department of State, USAID and Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy -- designed to identify gaps and opportunities to enhance the "whole of government" approach to providing security assistance to African nations.

This interagency cooperation is underscored through the attendance at this conference. Of the approximate 500 attendees, more than 60 represent U.S. embassy Country Teams, including deputy chiefs of mission, along with the State Department's Bureau of African Affairs and USAID.

Karl Wycoff, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, addressed the conference and echoed President Obama's objectives for Africa. He said Africa Command has a key role to play as a partner in meeting those objectives.

"We must ensure that all of our resources, both civilian and military, are carefully coordinated and calibrated to achieve the best results," Wycoff said.

He noted that a number of U.S. government agencies work together on security assistance and security cooperation programs, emphasizing the reliance on chiefs of mission to bring integration and balance to activities within a country.

Wycoff highlighted the success of the State Department's peacekeeper training program, with some 91,000 African peacekeepers trained since 2005. "It's a huge project and highly complemented by a variety of actors and our partners. Some 88 percent of those trained have been deployed on missions, and that's a key measure of effectiveness," Wycoff said. "We are looking to make that more effective, and we think AFRICOM and DOD have a major role to play in that."

Participants also received presentations on specialized topics such as efforts to counter narcotics trafficking, and warrant officer/noncommissioned officer development in African militaries.

Ward pointed out the interagency composition of the Africa Command headquarters as one of the "hallmarks" of the command, which has integrated into its staff nearly 30 officers from Department of State, USAID and other U.S. government agencies.

"The aid and the assistance that we receive from our interagency teammates are absolutely tremendous," Ward said. "It's important for us to understand their perspectives" to advance and strengthen Africa Command's coordination and collaboration with other U.S. government agencies.

The interagency representation at the conference also points to how Africa Command continues to be a listening and learning organization, Ward added. "This is a team effort...this helps us understand the environment in a more effective way and how we can do our very best to ensure that our programs are coordinated and synchronized in a way that brings coherency to the totality of our efforts to help bring stability to the African continent."
On 11/23/2009 10:40:17 AM, Anonymous in Unspecified said:
There was a full assortment of African Media at the event opening.

On 11/19/2009 4:28:13 PM, Bill_BRE in Germany said:
Actually, the print and online media coverage of AFRICOM news and events has been steadily improving over the past two years. For example, I was directed to this posting at the AFRICOM blog via an article at Foreign Policy magazine written by Elizabeth Dickenson "Think Again Africom". I also viewed a relatively recent report about AFRICOM on the Aljazeera TV network international edition - Europe with Rageh Omar, host of the popular investigative news program "Witness". So don't play the mainstream media cheap because some publications and radio TV programs still carry a considerable amount of weight with people around the world who closely follow international affairs and news.

In addition, some popular blog authors around the globe regularly follow news about AFRICOM and write about the command. Don't be mistaken in thinking that AFRICOM's public outreach efforts via the international news media - and your work at this website - are ineffective, because these efforts are having an impact on the thinking of a growing number of viewers and readers.

According to the Foreign Policy piece by Liz Dickinson the new command seems to be winning the confidence of more and more people on the African continent at least those people who have had an opportunity to interact with AFRICOM staff on in-country visits and training missions. This is a very good development, helping to silence those many voices that just a year ago were in such heated opposition to AFRICOM or any other foreign policy initiative from the United States toward African people and their respective governments. I'm beginning to see fewer blog posts and online debates about "the evils of AFRICOM".

Keep up the good work General Kip Ward and the AFRICOM staff and don't let your critics dampen your enthusiasm for the mission. As you may well know in some African nations smart development assistance and military cooperation with the USA combined with a genuine engagement with the people can go a very long way. Conflict prevention is the best medicine.

Now, what to do about the deteriorating situation in Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, Somalia, Chad, Sudan, the CAR, the eastern DRC, Zimbabwe? Call in the US Department of State and USAID to help turn things around all by themselves? Nein, Danke.



On 11/18/2009 11:39:37 AM, Anonymous in Unspecified said:
Kudos commenter - Are you effing serious???

On 11/18/2009 10:23:38 AM, Anonymous in Unspecified said:
Kudos to the command, on holding this very important conference to discuss security issues on the African continent. As a response to the other poster, there are probably several reasons for lack of media presence. Security issues being one of them as the conference was held on a military post. Additionnally, who actually trusts the mainstream media anymore? Each story would just be spun through a filter to highlight or downplay the issues based on viewer demographics anyway.


On 11/18/2009 9:46:38 AM, Anonymous in Unspecified said:
Was the media invited to your biggest event of the year?

How do you expect to garner awareness of AFRICOM's efforts, if none of the mainstream media picks it up?

We do so much good but then get slammed by editorials from FP?


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