In October 2008, the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) ‘stood up’ as
a unified combatant command. The US government argued that AFRICOM merely removed the ‘seams’ that made it difficult for its Department of Defence to operate across
different regions in Africa and engage consistently with African militaries. In Africa, however, the establishment of AFRICOM was met with trepidation and controversy, and raised concerns that the US was intent on establishing military bases on the continent.
The Foundation jointly staged a major discussion at Tswalu in July 2007 in collaboration with the African Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) focusing on the role of the US Africa Command.
