Landmact Magazine Article translated from Dutch:

‘There is a growing will to change in Africa’

The African continent appears increasingly frequently as a possible future mission area
for the Royal Netherlands Army. Colonel Michael Calmeyer Meijburg is the Dutch
liaison officer with the United States Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany. ‘The
Americans have already rolled out an impressive array of projects in Africa.’

In his Dutch battle dress, the colonel stands out on the grounds of the Kelley Barracks in
Stuttgart, Germany. Meijburg is the only Dutch soldier in the 1,400-strong Africa Command
(AFRICOM) of the United States. Even so, the colonel's uniform is not the only exception
among the diverse American uniforms. Other countries that are involved with Africa – such as
Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany – also have representatives in Stuttgart.
Even more important, though, is that the number of Africans still has to increase. ‘The idea is
that ultimately, every African country will have a liaison officer at AFRICOM,’ the Dutch
colonel says. ‘There are a lot of aspects to making that a reality. To help that process along,
AFRICOM is working hard on eliminating the legal, financial and diplomatic obstacles.’

Early days
It is still early days for AFRICOM. Until the command was created, responsibility for U.S.
military activities in Africa was dispersed among a number of military commands. Since
2008, AFRICOM has total responsibility as the unified military command for representing
U.S. military interests on the continent and contributing to peace and stability. Cooperation
with the armed forces of the African partners on a ‘mil to mil’ basis is the key principle.
The interest in the continent is certainly not new. For decades, Africa was part of the
background noise of the Cold War, which – unlikely as it sounds – helped to ensure peace and
balance. When the Cold War came to an end in the 1990s, civil wars and wars between states
broke out in Africa, leading to the suffering of millions of people. Following the attacks by
Al-Qaida in the United States on 11 September 2001 and the major deployments in
Afghanistan and Iraq, the focus now is turning increasingly to Africa. Partly to safeguard
security in the face of the rise of terrorist organisations, such as Al-Qaida in East Africa, and
also partly because of the continent’s abundant natural resources. China, India and Brazil are
on the move economically and have for themselves discovered the treasure trove of raw
materials that Africa is.

AFRICOM is not based in Africa, but is dispersed over several locations in Europe. ‘That was
a deliberate choice,’ Colonel Meijburg relates. ‘A number of African countries let it be known
that they were not looking forward to having a large U.S. base in their region. They were
concerned that such a strong U.S. presence would create the impression of an occupation by a
foreign power. And that is precisely what AFRICOM does not want to give the impression of
being.’
As a result, the navy branch of AFRICOM is based in Naples and the army in Vicenza (Italy),
while the air forces, marines, special forces and the command staff are based in barracks in
Germany. In Stuttgart, Colonel Meijburg is a link between AFRICOM and the Netherlands
Defence Staff. ‘I keep an eye on the projects that could be interesting for the Netherlands,’ the
colonel says. ‘I also report to the Americans on Dutch projects that could be interesting for the
command. My previous experience as the defence attaché in South Africa is also very useful.
For example, I was recently able to prepare the commanding officer of AFRICOM, General
William Ward, for a working visit to South Africa. Most of the Americans here in Stuttgart
have never actually been in Africa.’

In addition to the cooperative arrangements between the Netherlands and the Belgians and
French, which gives one type of access to the continent, AFRICOM is another ‘doorway into
Africa’. ‘The Netherlands is a relatively small country. A cooperative structure, such as
AFRICOM, is more practical than developing and setting up everything yourself,’ Colonel
Meijburg continues. ‘And the US is an important partner for us and one whom we are pleased
to work alongside. We have had excellent experience in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past
few years.’

Challenges
Why is Africa interesting for the Netherlands? Africa continues to be an important subject in
Dutch foreign policy. The Netherlands wants more attention for fragile states in general, and
there are relatively many such states in Africa. Fragile states are characterised by the inability
of the government to function well, if at all. The first result of that inability is that the
governments are not able to provide a level of existence for their own populations that meets
the test of human dignity; additionally, fragile states represent a threat to security at both the
regional and the global levels.
The reasons for the interest of the United States in Africa are similar. They recognise that
regional African problems can become challenges for global security. ‘Think about
smuggling, for example,’ Meijburg says. ‘It's a relatively simple crossing from South America
to West Africa to move drugs by boat. The borders there are not as impermeable as European
airports are. It’s then a question of transporting the drugs across the Sahara and over the
Mediterranean Sea.’
Other problems, some of which are already a threat, include people smuggling, piracy, ethnic
violence such as happened in Rwanda, rebel militias (in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Uganda, and elsewhere) and areas where no government has any authority (e.g.
Somalia). The Netherlands is particularly interested in migration flows, drug routes and
breeding grounds of terrorism. By contributing to stable government and security, the
Netherlands helps to create conditions that will make people less inclined to pursue lives of
crime and illegality. Deployment in Africa can therefore contribute to security in our own
country.

Military deployment alone is not the way to ensure stability; the Americans know that as well
as we do. Along with other U.S. government agencies and international partners, security and
stability have to be brought by a combination of military training programmes and assistance
in a comprehensive approach – such as the Netherlands had extensive experience with in
Afghanistan – bundling providing security, good governance and development to create
sustainable and durable development. ‘The Americans have rolled out an impressive network
of defence attachés across the continent,’ Meijburg says. ‘They are both the antennae and the
points of contact on the ground.’

ACOTA
But what do the Africans want themselves? ‘African countries want to have capable armed
forces that will make it possible for them to contend with any threats themselves,’ Colonel
Meijburg says. ‘The answer in Africa is not to send troops from abroad. And, believe it or not,
money is not the biggest problem in Africa. What African armed forces need more than
anything is equipment, advice, and training.’
The Africa Contingency Operations Training and Assistance programme (ACOTA) is a
response to those needs. Every year, the United States provides equipment, weapons and
training to approximately 20 African battalions. In return, the units are deployed during
humanitarian or peacekeeping operations under the command of the African Union or the
United Nations. ‘The Rwandese units deployed in Sudan are a good example,’ Colonel
Meijburg says. ‘So are the other African units deployed in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo and Somalia. That is also what the Africans themselves want. As Nelson Mandela
once said: Africans must solve Africa’s problems, but with a little help from our friends.
There is a strong awareness of African pride in solving problems on their own. With perhaps
just a little outside help.’

Capacity building
The key concept behind AFRICOM when it comes to improving security on the continent is
‘capacity building’. That is expressed by having the Africans do things themselves, by
training units, and by helping to create cooperative regional structures that will make it
possible for them to help one another in the event of a natural disaster, dealing with terrorism
and piracy. The approach is already bearing fruit, Meijburg says. ‘Africa is an up and coming
continent. With 53 countries and many peoples and languages, there are major differences.
The continent is rich in natural resources, but is also frequently politically unstable.
Nevertheless, there are many points of light to be seen. There is a growing desire on the part
of the Africans to deal with the problems themselves. Some countries are doing very well in
the areas of security and prosperity. There is also an increasing trend towards democracy.
Botswana and Ghana are good examples of progress and, fortunately, other countries are
following. In some regions, countries are coming together to increase the levels of trade
between them. They are creating their own free trade zones and removing import restrictions
for each other.’

Organisation
The Netherlands has a substantive contribution to make, Colonel Meijburg relates. ‘The
Dutch are good at organising things,’ he says. The strength of our efforts is found in
organising the armed forces in Africa. By teaching them how to work according to plans, how
to develop and implement operations orders, and how to deal with changing circumstances. In
short, how to work to a doctrine. Currently, the approach used differs by commanding officer.
African countries would do themselves a favour by describing things formally and capturing
them in documents. That creates continuity, clarity, and improvement. Burundi has already
made a start.’
In addition to developing doctrine, the colonel says the Africans need to learn the right way to
use one’s armed forces. ‘A country’s security structure is there to serve the population or the
nation; it is not in the employ of a single individual who is temporarily in charge.’

There is still some progress to be made in Africa in the next few years. And there are some
things for the Netherlands to learn as well, the colonel says. ‘If we were to place an exchange
officer at AFRICOM, and not just a liaison officer, he would also be involved directly with
setting up projects. That would help us to learn the most from one another and from Africa,
and would be an optimal way of working.’