No Plans to intervene in Cote d'Voire, Friday, February 11, 2011, Front Page

he United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) says it has no plans to support military intervention in Cote d'Ivoire should the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) decide on a military option as the last resort to resolve the Ivorian political crisis.

Speaking at a media interaction in Accra, the Commander of AFRICOM, General William E. Ward, said the will of Ivorians was demonstrated during the election and it was, therefore, within their collective interest and will to pursue what would bring peace and progress to their country.

AFRICOM is a Unified Combatant Command of the United States Department of Defence responsible for US military operations and relations with 53 African nations.

Gen. Ward, who is the first Commander of AFRICOM, is in Ghana as part of his final official tour of the continent as commander of AFRICOM.

The Commander, who addressed a wide array of issues concerning AFRICOM  and  its  role  in ensuring sustainable peace on the continent on Wednedsday, said it was not the role of AFRICOM to take over the responsibility of the military in its partner states but that it was to support collective decisions to rid the continent of instability.

He stated that contrary to reports, AFRICOM had no plans to relocate its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, to any part of Africa, adding that the achievement of AFRICOM was on target.

Gen Ward said security was a shared responsibility and that AFRICOM’s relationship with its partner nations had always been a transparent one.

He said in the execution of its mandate, AFRICOM sought to ensure that its activities reflected the policies of partner nations and US foreign policy.

On fighting the drug trade along the West African coast, he said there were a number of ongoing collaborative efforts to build the capacity of institutions involved in the fight against drug trafficking, in addition to logistical support.

He commended the Ghana Armed Forces for their image which commanded a lot of respect locally and  remained enviable across the globe.

Gen Ward reaffirmed AFRICOM’s support for Ghana’s military to ensure that it continued to live up to expectation.

 Additionally, he said, AFRICOM would build upon those activities that had positive results, saying, “We are partnering with you in dealing with things that threaten peace and safety.”

 AFRICOM, in concert with other US government agencies and international partners, conducts military-to-military sponsored activities and other military operations as directed to promote a stable and secure African environment in support of US foreign policy and national interests.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Need an Auto Loan? Monday, April 2, 2012, pg 20

Spiritual healers, men of God take over billboards, Monday, September 17, 2012, pg 32