Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Strategic Vision
Africa holds growing geo-strategic importance and is a high priority of this Administration. It is a place of promise and opportunity, linked to the United States by history, culture, commerce, and strategic significance. Our goal is an African continent that knows liberty, peace, stability, and increasing prosperity. National Security Strategy of the United States of America (2006) I am pleased to announce my decision to create a Department of Defense Unified Combatant Command for Africa. I have directed the Secretary of Defense to stand up U.S. Africa Command by the end of fiscal year 2008. 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 and promote our common goals of development, health, education, democracy, and economic growth in Africa. President George W. Bush (February 6, 2007)
Gulf of Guinea
Economic Context
Low GDP: regional average is $1,500 per capita (PPP). Hydrocarbon sector is significant proportion of economy and source of foreign exchange: 50-90 in Angola, 20-95 in Nigeria, 50-75 in Gabon.
Hydrocarbons
Top West African producers by barrels of oil per day:
1. 2. 3.
4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Nigeria: 2.5 million Angola: 902,000 Equatorial Guinea: 350,000 Gabon: 289,000 Congo: 235,000 Chad: 200,000 Cameroon: 67,000 Cte dIvoire: 33,000
Production in the Gulf of Guinea will increase 40 percent by 2015. The region already provides approximately 55 percent of U.S. imports of light, sweet crude, which is easier to refine for domestic consumption than the high sulfurcontent petroleum from the Middle East or Venezuela.
Gulf of Guinea
Demographic Context
African demographics creates breeding ground for extremists
Youth bulge 40% of population is less than 15 years old Systemic corruption prevents equitable distribution of resources
Religious Context
Political Context
Multilateral Organizations in the Region
United Nations (UN) and Africa Union (AU) members Maritime Organization for West and Central Africa (MOWCA) Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) Southern African Development Community (SADC)
Political Context
Weak governance capacity afflicts most nation-states in the region. Democratization efforts have been uneven. Living standards have been in relative decline. Religious divisions have accentuated ethnic and economic factors as conflict motivators.
Tipping Points
Migration Minimally governed areas Extremist inroads Piracy and Theft
Bakassi Peninsula
Recent Coup Attempts So Tom and Prncipe (2003) Equatorial Guinea (2004) Democratic Republic of the Congo (2004) Togo (2005) Angola Civil War (1974-2002)
Military Context
Focus has been predominantly on army and internal security services. Overall maritime capability is poor, even by developing world standards: small, undermanned, poorly equipped, inadequately trained naval components are largely inoperable. Most countries are unable to cope with piracy, criminal enterprises, and poaching, much less with terrorism.
Liberia
Ghana
Togo
Benin
Nigeria
Coastline: 853 km 6700 personnel 1 frigate, 1 corvette, 6 missile boats, 5 maritime patrol craft, 2 aircraft, 17 coastal patrol craft, and 50 riverine patrol craft
Cameroon
Coastline: 402 km 1300 personnel 10 riverine patrol craft, 6 harbor patrol craft, 3 maritime patrol craft
Equatorial Guinea
Gabon
Coastline: 885 km 600 personnel 3 coastal patrol craft, 1 maritime patrol craft
Congo (Brazzaville)
Angola
Coastline: 1600 km 2200 personnel 16 coastal patrol craft, 5 landing craft, 5 aircraft, 5 helicopters, 11 harbor craft
Nigeria is most significant source of merchant traffic: 50 percent of tanker departures, 57 percent of
Calabar
2 weekly
So Tom Angola 2 daily Luanda
Criminal Activities
Diamonds Middle East Heroin to U.S. and Europe Stolen Cars from U.S. and Europe Oil Bunkering
Weapons Trafficking, Human Trafficking, and other Illicit Trade throughout the Region
Diplomatic initiatives
Strategic partnerships
Developing multilateral institutions: African Union (AU), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), Southern African Development Community (SADC), Maritime Organization for West and Central Africa (MOWCA), etc. Potential for state failure, including the conflict in or even collapse of regional pivots: Angola (Cabinda separatism), Nigeria (Igbo, Ijaw, and Yoruba nationalism; Islamism among the Hausa and Fulani). Spread of terrorist phenomena: Northern Nigeria, Niger Delta, South Africa.
Strategic Guidance
Traditional Missions
Forward Naval Presence Crisis Response Expeditionary Power Projection Maritime Security Operations Sea Control Deterrence
New Missions
Security Cooperation Civil-Military Operations Counterinsurgency Counterterrorism Counter-Proliferation Air and Missile Defense Information Operations
Maritime SecurityDetect, deter, interdict, and defeat terrorist attacks, criminal acts, or hostile acts in the maritime domain, and prevent its unlawful exploitation for those purposes.
(ref. National Strategy for Maritime Security)
InfluenceThe power of producing effects without obvious exertion of force or direct exercise of command. It requires the creation of secure and stable environments that nurture enduring relationships and interdependencies.
(ref. CNO Strategic Studies Group XXIV)
A Possible Response
Humanitarian Assistance
USS Emory S. Land
February-April 2006) (January-March 2005;
Functional Area Analysis to determine capabilities and requirements for GFS, examining mission areas, including:
Peacetime Engagement Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief Interagency and/or NGO Coordination
Functional Needs Analysis to weigh attributes in each mission area, measure the attributes, and determine capability vis--vis
Questions?
Contact Information
Dr. J. Peter Pham
Director The Nelson Institute for International and Public Affairs James Madison University MSC 1205 Harrisonburg, Virginia 22801 (540) 568.2281 (540) 568.2977 FAX phamjp@jmu.edu