Obama, Africom, and the militarization of Africa (Africa Today Seminar)

Daniel Volman is the Director of the African Security Research Project in Washington, DC, and a member of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Association of Concerned Africa Scholars. He is a specialist on U.S. security policy toward Africa and U.S. military activities on the continent.
He received his Ph.D. degree in African History from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1991. His work has appeared in various academic and current affairs journals, including Foreign Policy in Focus, Journal of Modern African Studies, Third World Quarterly, Current History, and he has recently appeared on the BBC, the Voice of America,
and al-Jazeera TV.

Recent publications include:

Daniel Volman, "Africom and the Obama Administration," electronic article posted at allafrica.com on 3 December 2008.
Daniel Volman, "Africom to Continue Under Obama," electronic article posted at allafrica.com on 11 June 2009.
Daniel Volman, "U.S. Military Holds War Games on Nigeria, Somalia,"electronic article posted at allafrica.com on 14 August 2009.

Discussant: Stephen Ellis

Daniel Volman will examine the creation of the new U.S. military commandfor Africa (the U.S. Africa Command, or Africom), its principal missions, and its current operations. He will discuss how the Obama administration is continuing and expanding the militarization of U.S. policy toward Africa initiated by the Clinton and Bush administrations and the militarization of Africa. In particular, he will discuss the Obama administration's plans to increase funding for Africom operations and for U.S. military activities on the African continent. These activities include arms sales, military training programs, an increased U.S. naval presence in the Gulf of Guinea and
off the coast of Somalia, the acquisition of access to African military bases and other facilities for use by U.S. military forces, and preparations for possible future direct U.S. military intervention in
Africa.