John Campbell

Africa in Transition

Campbell tracks political and security developments across sub-Saharan Africa.

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Showing posts for "AFRICOM"

Why the U.S. Military Should Care About African Opposition Parties

by Guest Blogger for John Campbell
A general view shows the eight Kenyan presidential candidates (L-R) James Ole Kiyiapi, Musalia Mudavadi, Paul Muite, Martha Karua, Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Mohammed Dida, Uhuru Kenyatta and Peter Kenneth attending the second presidential debate at Brookhouse School in Kenya's capital Nairobi, February 25, 2013. (Joan Pereruan/Courtesy Reuters) A general view shows the eight Kenyan presidential candidates (L-R) James Ole Kiyiapi, Musalia Mudavadi, Paul Muite, Martha Karua, Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Mohammed Dida, Uhuru Kenyatta and Peter Kenneth attending the second presidential debate at Brookhouse School in Kenya's capital Nairobi, February 25, 2013. (Joan Pereruan/Courtesy Reuters)

This is a guest post by Catherine Kelly, a Ph.D. candidate in Government at Harvard University; and Jason Warner, a Ph.D. student in African Studies and Government at Harvard University.

Sub-Saharan Africa is an increasingly important theater of operation for the U.S. military. From al-Shabaab, the Lord’s Resistance Army, and Ansar Dine, the Department of Defense is recognizing that Africa will be a vital strategic battlefield in the next century. Read more »

AFRICOM to Stay in Stuttgart

by John Campbell
Kampala, Uganda U.S. General Carter F. Ham, Commander of the U.S. Africa Command addresses a news conference at the U.S. Embassy in Uganda's capital Kampala, May 11, 2011. (Edward Echwalu/Courtesy Reuters) Kampala, Uganda U.S. General Carter F. Ham, Commander of the U.S. Africa Command addresses a news conference at the U.S. Embassy in Uganda's capital Kampala, May 11, 2011. (Edward Echwalu/Courtesy Reuters)

The Department of Defense announced on Feb 5 that the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) headquarters will remain in Stuttgart, Germany.

According to Stars and Stripes, the decision to stay in Germany rather than relocate to the United States was based on “operational needs.” Read more »

French Enter Mali But How Will It End?

by John Campbell
People walk past the Grand Mosque of Djenne, a UNESCO World-Heritage listed site, in Djenne 17/09/2012. (Joe Penney/Courtesy Reuters) People walk past the Grand Mosque of Djenne, a UNESCO World-Heritage listed site, in Djenne 17/09/2012. (Joe Penney/Courtesy Reuters)

According to the New York Times, the French intervention in Mali to halt the southern march of Islamist forces has gone well. Franco-Malian recovery of the fabled cities of Timbuktu, Gao, and Kidal can be foreseen, though the fighting may be very bloody. That will mean fewer amputations and stonings, but it will not resolve the fundamental issues: a detached and discredited government in Bamako, an alienated north, and a fierce popular anger that expresses itself in Islamic terms. All of this against a background of recurrent food insecurity related to desertification. As the earlier example of the Polisario shows, a desert based insurgency can last a long time, perhaps longer than a French commitment to a country that is marginal to its fundamental interests. Read more »

AFRICOM: No Plans for an Africa Base

by John Campbell
General Carter F. Ham, commander of the U.S. military's Africa Command, speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Embassy in Algiers June 1, 2011. (Stringer/Courtesy Reuters) General Carter F. Ham, commander of the U.S. military's Africa Command, speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Embassy in Algiers June 1, 2011. (Stringer/Courtesy Reuters)

AFRICOM commander Gen. Carter Ham has again stated that there are no U.S. African Command (AFRICOM) plans to move its headquarters to Africa. He repeated what has been said by U.S. officials before: AFRICOM’s headquarters will remain in Stuttgart. Gen. Ham added that there would be “financial issues” in any location. Read more »