Officials said Africom, scheduled to begin operations on Oct. 1, would
contain 1,300 personnel, but only a small number would be based in Africa.
They said the main task of the new military command was to help African
allies in the war against Al Qaida.
"This is about us trying to do a better job of cultivating and
strengthening our relationships in Africa," Gates said. "It is not directed
against anybody whatsoever. AfriCom is a vehicle for the United States to
give even more attention to improving our relationships in Africa and
providing training and help to African governments."
In Africa, the new U.S. military command has been viewed as a means to
establish a permanent presence in Africa and dominate the continent's
mineral resources. Many African analysts assert that Africom was designed to
counter Chinese influence in Africa.
Gates has decided that Africom would be based in Stuttgart, Germany, the
home of U.S. European Command. Officials said Africom has also suspended the
search for five Africom offices on the continent. Each of the offices would
contain about 30 military personnel.
Officials said the Pentagon allowed a handful of countries to block
Africom's entry. They said Nigeria and South Africa were early opponents and
quickly followed by Algeria and Libya.
By February 2008, opposition to Africom became public. Ghanian President
John Kufuor told visiting President George Bush "You're not going to build
any bases in Ghana."
