Why AFRICOM? An American Perspective

This briefing by Theresa Whelan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Africa, explains the rationale and intended structure of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM). It argues that the command is a necessary shift from Cold War-era organizational structures to a 21st-century approach that prioritizes security capacity building, prevention, and inter-agency cooperation to support African stability and U.S. national security.

• The creation of AFRICOM is driven by Africa's strategic importance, which includes its geography (22% of the world's total land area), demographics (roughly 14% of the world's population), and economic value, including an estimated 8% of the world's petroleum and significant critical minerals and food commodities.
• Prior to AFRICOM, the U.S. Department of Defense divided Africa among three regional commands—European Command (EUCOM), Central Command (CENTCOM), and Pacific Command (PACOM)—an arrangement established in 1983 that created bureaucratic 'seams' and coordination difficulties.
• The post-9/11 security environment shifted the U.S. perspective of Africa from a primarily humanitarian concern to a national security imperative, recognizing that threats can emerge from undeveloped countries and non-state actors.
• AFRICOM is designed as a staff headquarters rather than a troop headquarters; it will not establish new permanent military bases for the U.S. Army, Navy, or Air Force on the continent.
• The command's primary objective is prevention rather than reaction, aiming to 'prevent problems from becoming crises, and crises from becoming catastrophes' through security capacity building and support for accountable governance.
• AFRICOM will feature a unique integrated civilian/military architecture, including a Directorate for Civil/Military Activities led by a State Department Senior Foreign Service officer who will serve as a deputy to the AFRICOM Commander.
• The document rejects the claim that AFRICOM's primary purpose is to secure U.S. access to oil, stating instead that it will help African nations develop their own capacities to protect natural resources from illegal exploitation.
• U.S. policy toward Africa remains dominated by trade, health, and development rather than military programs; non-security related programs total nearly US$ 9 billion, while security assistance is approximately US$ 250 million.

APA

Whelan, T. (2007). Why AFRICOM? An American Perspective. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SITREPAFRICOM170807.PDF

Chicago

Whelan, Theresa. Why AFRICOM? An American Perspective. Institute for Security Studies, 2007. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SITREPAFRICOM170807.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Whelan |first1=Theresa |title=Why AFRICOM? An American Perspective |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=17 August 2007 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SITREPAFRICOM170807.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{whelan2007why, author = {Whelan, Theresa}, title = {{Why AFRICOM? An American Perspective}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2007}, month = aug, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SITREPAFRICOM170807.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }