Good morning and welcome. Thank you all for joining me and my esteemed colleague, the Ranking Member of this Subcommittee, Senator John Sununu, for this hearing to explore the U.S. Africa Command and a new strategic relationship with Africa.

As many of you know, I have supported the idea of a United States Armed Forces regional combatant command for Africa for a long time. Last June, I introduced legislation mandating a Pentagon study on the feasibility and desirability of establishing an Africa Command and asked the Defense Department to report to Congress on the potential pros and cons of such a command and to provide an estimate of the resources it would require. Plans for the new Africa Command – now commonly called AFRICOM – have proceeded swiftly since then. I am glad that the Administration has recognized Africa’s increasing strategic importance and has pledged to adopt a more comprehensive approach towards the challenges and opportunities presented by this diverse continent.

While I welcomed the President’s announcement of the creation of an AFRICOM, I am aware that the combatant command, which still exists only at the planning stage, has been the subject of much scrutiny and debate within the policy community here in Washington -- as well as by friends abroad and in the media. In addition, since AFRICOM’s inception there have been, in my opinion, far too few conversations between the planning team and those of us on Capitol Hill who are focused on Africa.

I hope that today’s hearing will address some of the concerns that have been raised while allowing full discussion of the decisions that have already been made and those that are forthcoming. With the formation of this command, we are at a significant turning point in our relationship with Africa and we must ensure are actions are aligned with our objectives.

Africa presents a number of security-related challenges, including violent conflicts with far-reaching spillover effects, significant displaced populations, maritime insecurity, large-scale corruption, and the misappropriation and exploitation of natural resources. The question, however, is not whether the United States needs to work aggressively and cooperatively to address these concerns, but how we should do so in order to be as effective as possible.

There is no doubt that our nation’s military expertise is one of our greatest assets, but meaningful and sustainable contributions to security and development in Africa must address the underlying causes of these security challenges throughout the continent. Many of these challenges are not military at their core but instead require significant improvement in the capacity of local governments, with an emphasis on the rule of law, economic development, democratization, and anti-corruption measures. Furthermore, many threats throughout the African continent are not confined by national borders, which poses additional obstacles and requires extensive collaboration and coordination between African governments to be effectively combated. The United States must pursue a seamless and adaptable policy on the continent that will enhance and expand national and regional capacity in Africa.

I understand that these objectives are in line with those espoused by the AFRICOM planning team and I am prepared to fully support a unified, interagency U.S. approach that creates a military command with the primary mission of supporting our policies towards Africa and ensuring continued diplomatic, development, humanitarian assistance, and regional initiatives led by the Department of State, USAID, and other key stakeholders – including national and international NGOs, other bilateral and multilateral development bodies, and of course, African political and military leaders. If designed, deployed, and equipped with these goals in mind, this command will contribute to broader U.S. government efforts throughout the continent, and will help provide an additional platform for regional thinking, strategizing, and activity that will advance the strategic interests of our country throughout Africa.

It is abundantly clear that U.S. national security, international stability, and the ability of African countries to achieve their full growth and development potential, depend upon improving and expanding governance and accountability so that legitimate grievances are addressed and extremism cannot take root. This will require strengthening national and regional commitment and capacity to provide physical security, while also protecting fundamental human rights and democratic freedoms.

And now, I’d like to turn to the first of our two distinguished panels so we can dig in collectively to this complex situation.