The African Command: Its place in Africa and in the American military structure

Renewed American interest for Africa and the recent geostrategic revaluation of the continent carry along fundamental changes from military and strategic point of view for the United States. After years of protracted debate and several processes of assessment within the State Department and academic and military circles, it was decided to set up a new command, AFRICOM, whose area of responsibility would encompass the whole African continent and adjoining see-area, with the exception of Egypt, who would remain under the control of CENTCOM. The setting up of AFRICOM goes in its meaning beyond the administrative reorganization of the Unified Command Plan; it is a prove of the growing geopolitical importance of Africa for the American interests. Nevertheless, African reluctance to accept the establishment of AFRICOM in any of their own countries has been huge, as they refused the presence of hundreds of their soldiers within their territory. Most of the African states consider the establishment of AFRICOM as a hidden strategy to put into practice the American agenda of Global War against Terrorism and at the same time secure the access to natural resources of the continent.