AFRICA COMMAND AFRICOM

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AFRICA COMMAND (AFRICOM)
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Creation

• February 2007 President George W. Bush announced
  the creation of a unified command-AFRICOM
• AFRICOM was to be on par with the extant regional
  commands PACOM (Pacific Rim), CENTCOM (Middle
  East/Central Asia), EUCOM (Europe), and SOUTHCOM
  (Latin America)

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Strategic Rationale

• Some say that the creation of AFRICOM symbolizes
  the increased strategic status of Africa for the
  United States
• Others say that its creation is the outcome of
  the US concern regarding the increased presence
  of China and oil
• Still others argue that the creation of AFRICOM
  is an expression of U.S. concern regarding the
  growing presence of terrorist groups in North
  Africa, Trans-Sahel region, and the Horn

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Your Task

• Please write a paragraph or two to express your
  views on the reasons behind the creation of
  AFRICOM Is it really about the rising strategic
  clout of Africa in the global power play?
• Or, are the real reasons the growing presence of
  China in Africa (especially in Sudan and Western
  Africa) and the impending oil shortages?
• Or, is it merely a proactive U.S. response
  against terrorism in North Africa and its
  contiguous areas?

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Your Task

• Please post your views in my blog
• Your response may be made anonymously, or you may
  identify yourself
• The purpose of this short exercise is to get a
  dialogue going on issues of mutual concern and
  enable you to use our portal

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AFRICA COMMAND (AFRICOM)