AFRICOM's General Ham Waging War from Djibouti

Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) arrived on the continent a couple of weeks ago just in time for the big doings. Ham, who had only taken over his new post three days earlier, conferred with local and U.S. military and political officials in the east African nation of Djibouti, in the words of the newspaper Stars and Stripes, just as the United States and other nations debated "whether to place a no-fly zone over Libya." If that were to happen, the paper said, AFRICOM "would play its first lead role." Djibouti's chief of defense, Maj. Gen. Fathi Ahmed Houssein, is said to have "advised circumspection, since any use of military force in Libya would have long-term ramifications." Ham said he took it under advisement. Ham's predecessor in the job was Gen. William "Kip" Ward, one of the highest-ranking African Americans in the U.S. military. The new chief faces "some tough questions about the mandate and intentions of the nascent command" said Stars and Stripes. Ward "had gone to great lengths to assure African nations that the United States does not seek to build bases on the continent," the paper said. And "Ham said that while he was looking at other locations in the U.S. and Europe as a long-term command headquarters, and will decide on one next year, he would not rule out Africa, either." An estimated 30,000 Djiboutians calling for [Ismail Omar Guelleh] to step down gathered in Djibouti City March 19. (Again, there are only 750,000 people in the country.) They "were met by riot police, who violently dispersed the protesters," wrote [Stephen Roblin]. "Unlike in Egypt, where citizens temporarily took control over Tahrir Square, state violence in Djibouti successfully repressed the attempt by pro-democracy forces to establish a permanent protest camp in the center of the capital."