The missions, responsibilities, and force structure of a combatant command must adapt to changing
strategic environment. As Africa undergoes intense transition, promise and opportunity exist
side by side with the perils of civil war, transnational threats, infectious disease, and
desperate poverty, which can significantly affect the U.S. national interests in the region.
However, the current UCP arrangement—division of responsibility for Africa among three commands
(USEUCOM, USCENTCOM, and USPACOM) and lacking a dedicated headquarters for Africa—does not
provide the ideal framework to effectively support the U.S. strategy and meet the current and
future challenges in Africa. The U.S. should give a higher priority to Africa by transferring
USCENTCOM and USPACOM’s African Areas of Responsibility to USEUCOM and establishing a sub-unified
command for Africa under USEUCOM. Such a dedicated sub-unified command will allow more effective
command structure to proactively shape the security environment in Africa and more effectively
handle any threats to U.S. national interests in the region.
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