Townsend Visits Djibouti, Meets with troops, Embassy, Host Nation

The new commander of the U.S. Africa Command Gen. Stephen J. Townsend visited Djibouti Aug. 6-8, 2019 to meet with Republic of Djibouti senior defense officials and to attend meetings at Camp Lemonnier.

By U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs , United States Africa Command Stuttgart, Germany Aug 08, 2019

View Gallery

Gallery contains 4 images

The new commander of the U.S. Africa Command Gen. Stephen J. Townsend visited Djibouti Aug. 6-8, 2019 to meet with Republic of Djibouti senior defense officials and to attend meetings at Camp Lemonnier. This was his first trip to the African continent since taking command on July 26, 2019.

“The U.S. and the Republic of Djibouti enjoy an enduring, strong, and cooperative partnership,” said Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U.S. Africa Command. “Our relationship with Djibouti is based on mutual interests, goals, and a shared concern about the security and stability of the region. We value our relationship with our Djiboutian partners and their positive role and commitment to making the region safer.”

Gen. Townsend’s three day visit provided insight into the current political and military situation in East Africa, as well as current operations and areas for further coordination. The commander thanked Djibouti for its continued long-standing support in hosting Camp Lemonnier. He highlighted the important contributions of Djibouti’s AMISOM peacekeepers in Somalia, noting that “through their efforts under challenging conditions, Djibouti has contributed significantly to security in the region.”

“We look to build enduring relationships, not short term, nor transactional ones,” said Townsend. “We lead with our values, hard work, and a desire to strengthen partnerships on the African continent. We are committed to working together and advancing our partnership with Djibouti.”

Gen. Townsend was joined in his consultations by U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti Larry E. André. “Our two countries’ security forces enjoy excellent cooperation,” remarked Ambassador André, “and this cooperation enhances our rich bilateral relationship.”

U.S. Forces Conduct Strikes Targeting al Shabaab

Ambassador Robert Scott Joins Obangame Express 2025 in Cabo Verde

U.S. Forces Conduct Strike Targeting al Shabaab

U.S. Forces Conduct Strikes Targeting ISIS-Somalia

U.S. and Royal Moroccan Armed Forces Launch African Lion 25 in Morocco

Winning the Peace through Religious Collaboration

U.S. chaplain delegation led by U.S. Africa Command Chaplain Colonel Karen Meeker conducted collaborative meetings to bring stability through faith and new avenues of collaboration in support of the warfighter while in Cairo, Egypt, March 17, 2025.

General Langley Engages with Leaders in Côte d’Ivoire

U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley, commander of U.S. Africa Command, traveled to Côte d’Ivoire, April 24-25, to meet with Ivorian leaders and deliver remarks at the opening ceremony of Flintlock 25, the command's annual combined special operations exercise.

Army lawyers provide training on rules for armed conflict at exercise Justified Accord

NAIROBI, Kenya – Among the flurry of tactical live fires and squad movement drills, air ground integration and even the humanitarian initiatives at exercise Justified Accord 2025 (JA25), lies the one thing those who serve in any armed force must follow: The Law. The Law of Armed Conflict, or LOAC, is a key aspect of training for any military. JA25’s academics course aimed at learning from the international legal lessons of previous wars in an effort to reduce the amount of human suffering in future conflicts. “The soldier’s rules are a broad set of rules that we have pulled from the large breadth of international law,” said U.S. Army Maj. Tim Olliges, an operational law attorney assigned to U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), the lead U.S. Army command and planner of JA25. “The LOAC is extensive and can be complex, so we pull out the ten most critical concepts that every soldier, right down to the private, should know before they go into combat.”

Winning the Peace through Religious Collaboration

General Langley Engages with Leaders in Côte d’Ivoire

Army lawyers provide training on rules for armed conflict at exercise Justified Accord

Winning the Peace through Religious Collaboration

General Langley Engages with Leaders in Côte d’Ivoire

Army lawyers provide training on rules for armed conflict at exercise Justified Accord