AFRICOM halts HQ plan; will phase in staff

AFRICOM halts HQ plan; will phase in staff
By Charlie Coon, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Sunday, May 4, 2008

STUTTGART, Germany — The U.S. Africa Command has shelved plans to build a new headquarters on the African continent in favor of placing staff there as needs arise.

The new command already uses 13 Offices of Defense Cooperation at U.S. embassies in African capitals. It plans to open 11 more over the next four years.

The offices are typically staffed by two to four people who act as liaisons between U.S. and host-nation militaries. The offices’ names will be changed to Offices of Security Cooperation.

The command will also take over the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, a 2,000-person base in Djibouti on Africa’s east coast.

AFRICOM had planned to select a site on the continent for a headquarters by Oct. 1, when it is to assume control of ongoing U.S. military missions there. The command last summer also favored building about six regional offices throughout the vast, 53-nation continent.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=54540



uhc comment: Not one of the fifty three nations on the continent wanted the HQ. Guess they must be paying attention to the build an empire handbook.

the near future. I've heard that China has a strong hold on oil being drilled in Africa. Is that true?