Is the creation of U.S. Africa Command in response to recent events in Somalia or Darfur?
No. However, the crisis in Darfur and developing situation in Somalia do highlight the nature of the threats to African regional stability and security. U.S. Africa Command will consolidate the efforts of three commands into one focused solely on Africa and help coordinate U.S. Government contributions on the continent. U.S. Africa Command is designed to better enable the Department of Defense and other elements of the U.S. government, to work in concert and with partners to achieve a more stable environment in which 1) political and economic growth can take place and 2) humanitarian and development assistance can be used more effectively.
