AFRICOM’s Origins: Is US Training of African Peacekeepers In Doubt?

The Defense Department is hinting that the future of US involvement in training African peacekeeping units may be in doubt. In light of the recent critique from Refugees International about an alleged militarization of US policy towards Africa, a reader might think that first sentence somewhat astonishing. But the hints referred to here are old ones --- they came as then US Secretary of State Colin Powell left on his first trip to Africa, as I reported from the Pentagon in late May 2001.

Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral Craig Quigley denies there is any feeling at the Defense Department that ACRI – the African Crisis Response Initiative -- has been a failure.

But Admiral Quigley suggests Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has a variety of concerns about the program, which was launched five years ago by the Clinton administration. Admiral Quigley says this includes the question of whether some African countries may be using ACRI to solve their defense funding problems.

In an interview reported by the newspaper USA Today, Secretary Rumsfeld was quoted as hinting he would end the multi-million dollar program.

But spokesman Quigley denies at a Pentagon briefing that Mr. Rumsfeld is thinking of pulling out of ACRI.

“He committed to doing what the United States has agreed to do and not to back out of any agreements we have entered into.”

Still, the spokesman says Mr. Rumsfeld is evaluating whether ACRI should continue next year.

“But beyond that, there's a question in his mind as to the further involvement and engagement of US forces in that part of the world and in what role and he would take a good hard look at that before he would agree to anything.”

ACRI is designed to enhance the capacity of select African countries to respond quickly and effectively to peacekeeping and humanitarian relief missions on the continent. Under the ACRI program, US military trainers have worked with troops in a variety of African countries.

In addition to training, the program has provided African troops withnon-lethal equipment, including uniforms.