Washington: During a digital press briefing with AFRICOM leaders, U.S. Africa Commands Deputy Commander, Lt. Gen. John W. Brennan, and the Deputy to the Commander for Civil-Military Engagement, Ambassador Robert Scott, discussed advancing U.S.-Africa security cooperation and their recent visit to Angola and Namibia.

According to EMM, the briefing highlighted AFRICOM’s commitment to strengthening partnerships in Africa to promote stability and collective defense through African-led solutions. Lt. Gen. Brennan emphasized the importance of African solutions to African problems, noting that all training and exercises are led by African partners. The visit to Namibia and Angola underscored efforts to empower local institutions with decision-making authority beyond training or equipment support.

Ambassador Scott elaborated on the interconnectedness of security and economic development, citing examples such as the Lobito Corridor in Angola and the Walvis Bay project in Namibia. These initiatives aim to enhance regional trade and security, with a focus on maritime domain awareness.

During the briefing, questions addressed AFRICOM’s approach to reinforcing mutual security goals without creating a patron-client dynamic. Lt. Gen. Brennan explained that security needs assessments guide the support provided to African partners, ensuring that exercises are African-led and partner-enabled.

The briefing also touched on socioeconomic development programs in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. Lt. Gen. Brennan and Ambassador Scott highlighted the State Partnership Program and the involvement of the U.S. Development Finance Corporation in supporting infrastructure projects like Sun Africa’s $1 billion power project in Angola.

In response to questions about the importance of Southern Africa to AFRICOM, Lt. Gen. Brennan affirmed the desire to increase participation in military exercises and high-level discussions. The briefing also addressed the focus on solutions that avoid direct military interventions, emphasizing capacity building and multilateral operations support.

The session concluded with discussions on AFRICOM’s regional strategy in Southern Africa, efforts to counter misinformation from Russia and China, and ongoing engagements in Somalia to counter terrorist threats.

The briefing underscored AFRICOM’s commitment to fostering security and development partnerships across Africa while addressing regional challenges collaboratively.