Africom's Dilemma

Africa is a continent of growing economic, social, political, and geostrategic importance. It is also a continent of overwhelming poverty, rampant disease, chronic instability, and terrorist activity. The establishment of a new Combatant Command for Africa-AFRICOM-marks an important milestone in the evolution of relations between the United States and the governments of Africa. Through AFRICOM, the U.S. Department of Defense will consolidate the efforts of three existing command headquarters as it seeks a more stable environment for political and economic growth in Africa. In line with this goal, AFRICOM is pioneering a bold new method of military engagement focused on war prevention, interagency cooperation, and development rather than on traditional warfighting. In this monograph, Robert Berschinski contends that in order to significantly benefit the African security landscape, AFRICOM must depart from the model of U.S. military operations on the continent since September 11, 2001.