Security Assistance in Africa
Information on security assistance administered by the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs is available on a country-by-country basis through the links to the left. For an explanation of various types of security assistance (FMF, IMET, PKO, NADR) click here.
Also see all countries listed from A to Z.
Foreign Military Financing (FMF): Conflict and ungoverned spaces in Africa remains a concern for the United States. FMF for this region will support counterterrorism capabilities, improve peacekeeping capacity and enhance border and maritime controls, thereby strengthening regional stability. Funds will be used to thwart the terrorist threat in the Horn of Africa and bolster regional security. FY 2007 FMF will continue to support the African Coastal and Border Security program, which seeks to provide new and follow-on assistance to important African partners to control sensitive border areas and to defend its vast coastal waters from terrorist and criminal activities, as well as to better protect fisheries, oil, and environmental resources. In Liberia, funds will assist in the establishment of a new unified and professional national military force. Funding also will provide HIV/AIDS training equipment to prevent new HIV/AIDS cases and to better manage its impact on African military personnel.
International Military Education and Training (IMET): In Africa, enhancing military relationships and educating future leaders are vital elements of our overall strategy to help build and sustain African institutions on the path to development and reform. IMET programs in the region promote democratization, emphasize rule of law and the protection of human rights, enhance professionalism and increase African will to provide support in the war on terrorism, engage in peacekeeping operations and perform civic action.
Peacekeeping Operations (PKO):
- Assist efforts to end destructive conflicts and ensure viable peace in the Great Lakes region, the Mano River region of West Africa, and other sensitive areas on the continent by supporting conflict management activities, confidence-building measures and defense reform efforts. Funds may also support programs to enhance African capabilities to respond to regional crises, especially in conjunction with the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
- Continue support for Security Sector Reform (SSR) in Liberia to ensure a successful transition to a professional and capable security force. PKO will support efforts to restructure ground forces such as combat and combat support units by providing equipment, training, and infrastructure needs. Assistance also will be expanded to include support for specialty units such as naval and coastal patrol units.
- Support a concerted effort to train and equip the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army to enable its transformation from a guerrilla army to a conventional military. Funds also will assist in overall defense reform efforts in Sudan such as the development of the Sudanese Joint Integrated Units (JIUs), support for the International Military Advisory Team (IMAT), and restructuring the MOD. This assistance will immensely bolster prospects for peace as the government and people of South Sudan gain confidence in their security situation and are protected by a military that is both more professional and more representative of their diverse society.
- Enhance countries' abilities to participate in international peace support operations (PSOs) by addressing key gaps in their PSO capacity through the Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI). The five-year program focuses on training and equipping 75,000 troops worldwide, with an emphasis in Africa; increasing the number of gendarme units able to deploy to PSOs; and facilitating deployments by providing deployment support such as transportation to the mission and sustainment in the field. The program includes continued support for the PKO-funded African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance (ACOTA) program.
- Support the Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Initiative (TSCTI), a multi-disciplinary approach to countering terrorist threats and influence in North Africa, the Sahel, and across the Sahara. Civilian, police, and military programs will enhance border control and rapid response capabilities, strengthen institutions, and foster development and education. PKO funds will develop and enhance counterterrorist capabilities of security forces in the region, including supporting activities that promote interoperability and facilitate coordination between the countries to counter common threats.
