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Africom 'should stay off Africa'
29/08/2007 15:35 - (SA)
Cape Town - The United States Africa Command (Africom) should stay out of the African continent, says Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota.
Africom was not really a new development, as the US had always had some kind of focus on the African continent, said Lekota.
He said: "But, the Africom initiative has raised a lot of interest and a lot of attention, because at some point, there is a certain sense that Africa has to avoid the presence of foreign forces on its soil.
"There's a certain sense in the countries of our region (the Southern African Development Community) that if there was to be an influx of armed forces into one or other of the African countries, that might affect the relations between the sister countries, and not encourage an atmosphere, or in a sense, of security."
SADC 'will not host Africom'
The idea of a US focus on Africa was not something new. The US had always had some kind of overview of the situation there.
Lekota said: "Nevertheless, as indeed the SADC adopted position, it is better if they did that from a distance, rather than come and make a presence that creates uncertainty."
SADC countries had agreed not to host Africom, or more particularly, armed forces. As far as he was aware, the majority of the other regions of the continent had also taken that position, said Lekota.
He said: "My understanding is that the continental position... (is) we have no quarrel with Africom as such, but the issue of its location in the continent.
"On that issue I think the continent is at one, that we wouldn't want to see new forces brought on the continent."
Africom was expected to be established by the end of September next year with initial headquarters in Germany and eventual headquarters on the African continent.
- SAPA
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