Text Fwd: After Ivory Coast, AFRICOM Readies ASF For Central African Role

Stop NATO
U.S. Africa Command
U.S. Army Africa
February 24, 2011


Exercise Kwanza Review in Kinshasa Focuses on African Standby Force
U.S. Army Africa Public Affairs


-[T]he Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) -- an organization
like ECCAS -- diplomatically responded recently -- and could militarily respond
-- to the electoral crisis in the West African country of Cote d'Ivoire. The
ECCAS could respond to a crisis in its area of responsibility composed of
Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Central
African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe and Chad.


KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of the Congo: In his "Commander's Intent 2011"
message, one of U.S. Army General William E. "Kip" Ward's key approaches was
that, "??[U.S. Africa Command] will continue to support the African Union (AU)
to include strengthening the capabilities and interoperability of the African
Standby Force (ASF) and its sub-regional elements."

To forward that goal, Major George K. Allen Jr. of U.S. Army Africa and
Lieutenant Jonathan Goerk of U.S. Naval Forces Africa traveled to Kinshasa,
Democratic Republic of the Congo in October 2010, to participate in the
Conference Bilan et Retour d'experience de L'exercice Kwanza 2010 or Exercise
Kwanza After Action Review (AAR).

Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) held the exercise in order
to validate Central African Multinational Force (CAMF) to AU standards. The
force is one of five brigade-size elements that make up the AU's ASF--created to
respond to crises on the African continent.

Allen and Goerk sat alongside their ECCAS counterparts to gain a better
understanding of how CAMF performed during Exercise Kwanza in Cabo Ledo, Angola,
from May 22 to June 5, 2010. The observers' participation in the Exercise Kwanza
AAR follows their observation of the exercise this summer.
....
According to Allen, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) -- an
organization like ECCAS -- diplomatically responded recently -- and could
militarily respond -- to the electoral crisis in the West African country of
Cote d'Ivorie. The ECCAS could respond to a crisis in its area of responsibility
composed of Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Gabon, Equatorial
Guinea, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and
Principe and Chad.

"ECCAS and CAMF are professional and ready to go," Goerk said. "Exercise Kwanza
proved that as an armed force, CAMF can work with diplomats, gendarmerie, and
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) on the both the sea and ground."
....
"In working with CAMF and the other regional standby forces, AFRICOM and USARAF
could easily incorporate civilians and NGOs into our military exercise play and
operations," Allen said. "Joint, Interagency, Intergovernmental, and
Multinational (JIIM) personnel are already part of their formations. It is a
win-win proposition."