Combating African Questions about the Legitimacy of AFRICOM

Abstract

The creation of a new United States Unified Command for Africa, AFRICOM, symbolizes the strategic importance of Africa for the United States. Yet, the initial response from African leaders, scholars, and the media has been muted or downright hostile. This paper suggests that AFRICOM does not have legitimacy among Africans; it explains why legitimacy matters, and elaborates on how to achieve it. Americans must understand Africa's history and sensitivities regarding the role of outsiders. To win, AFRICOM will want to adopt new principles of engagement and operate differently. AFRICOM must demonstrate the congruence between American and African strategic interests and support African-led agendas where appropriate. This will involve cooperating with new multilateral African institutions. Finally, understanding the complex nature of conflict on the continent is essential to improving prevention and mitigation activities.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 19, 2008
Accession Number
ADA479332

Entities

People

  • Diana B. Putman

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter WMD
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Africa
  • Cold War
  • Commerce
  • Continents
  • Department Of Defense
  • Education
  • Governments
  • National Security
  • Natural Resources
  • Political Systems
  • Saharan Africa
  • Security
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • United States
  • United States Africa Command
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • International Relations, focusing on Korea-Africa and North Korea-South Korea relations, and Nigeria-Latin American Relations.
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.
  • Systems Analysis and Design