Hunter Opening Statement for Africa Command Hearing

Nov 13, 2007
Press Release

Contact: Josh Holly; 202.226.3988 

Hunter Opening Statement for Africa Command Hearing 

Washington D.C. – U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), senior Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, today released the following opening statement for the full committee’s hearing on the establishment of a United States Africa Command (AFRICOM): 

“Thank you to our Chairman, Ike Skelton, for holding this hearing and welcome to General Kip Ward, who appears before this committee for the first time as the Commander of the new United States Africa Command.  General, we value your continued commitment and service.  We recognize the growing importance of stability on the African continent and its significant impact on the international security environment and, especially, the global war on terror. 

“We also welcome the honorable Ryan Henry and Ambassador Stephen Mull, who will certainly provide insight into both the creation of AFRICOM and its future as a model of interagency cooperation. 

“Ever since the Department of Defense (DOD) released its latest Quadrennial Defense Review in February 2006, we in Congress have been watching to see how the Department would translate its multitude of findings and recommendations into concrete steps that will help the young men and women of our U.S. military meet the challenges of a changed—and still evolving—security environment.  Earlier this year, President Bush announced his decision to create AFRICOM as one such step. 

“At the time, he noted that ‘this new command will strengthen our security cooperation with Africa and create new opportunities to bolster the capabilities of our partners in Africa. Africa Command will enhance our efforts to bring peace and security to the people of Africa.’  Over the last several decades alone, we can all recall the horrifying genocides, rebellions and civil wars, and the natural disasters that have occurred on the African continent.  These events—which raised death tolls to unimaginable levels and caused massive influxes of refugees and internally displaced people—serve as a grim reminder of what we all stand to lose in the face of massive instability.  We see this reminder, still, in the current situation within the Darfur region of Sudan and in the continued saber-rattling within several other Africa sub-regions. 

“So I agree with the President’s goals, as he laid out earlier this year: development; health; education; democracy; and economic growth.  The question becomes, though, how a United States combatant command can best work toward these goals, which—to be honest—may contribute to national security but are not viewed as traditional military goals.  My questions are therefore two-fold. 

“First, many media outlets and regional experts report that African officials have expressed significant misgivings that the establishment of Africa Command will lead to the militarization of our relations with their nations.  In light of the number of coups and armed conflicts that have occurred in Africa since many of those nations gained independence, I imagine that those officials are justifiably wary of anything with even a hint of militarization. 

“In addition, in a briefing I recently received, I learned that the U.S. Government spends about $9 billion per year in Africa on health, development, trade promotion, and good governance activities.  Yet we spend only $250 million annually on building capabilities and capacities for peacekeeping, border and coastal security, and logistics and airlift support for peacekeeping, as well as holding training exercises and bilateral events.  Mr. Henry, you also highlighted this disparity in your written testimony.  “Given their possible distrust of foreign military influence and given this disparity in the focus of U.S. aid, how are we reassuring our African friends that this new command will not lead to increased U.S. efforts to control or otherwise influence their militaries?  How have you responded to their concerns, as expressed to date, and what is your plan for continued engagement to address future concerns? 

“My second question focuses on the interagency aspect of this new command.  I understand that AFRICOM is attempting to establish a “complementary mix” of military and civilian personnel with officials from the State Department and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) working side-by-side with Defense Department officials.  However, I have also heard rumblings that U.S. embassy personnel in African capitals and elsewhere may be suspicious of an overarching regional construct, particularly one that is, essentially, a military combatant command.  The best way I can think of to ensure that a player is fully invested in a successful, team-oriented outcome is to make certain that player is literally invested. 

“Given that a significant number of AFRICOM personnel will be State Department and USAID officials, please describe the cost-sharing arrangement for fiscal year 2008 and in future fiscal years so that we can rest assured that non-DOD players are full stakeholders in the success of this command and its interagency missions. 

“In closing, we have seen how ungoverned and under-governed spaces can become safe havens for terrorists.  By partnering more closely with nations on the African continent, we can help to develop more secure borders, more responsible and capable military forces, and security institutions that are more responsive to national governments—and we can help to close the doors of any safe havens located there.  I look forward to hearing how standing up AFRICOM will expand upon those efforts. 

“Again, I thank my partner for holding this important hearing, and I look forward to an open, forward-looking discussion.”   

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