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Visit to Stuttgart Helps Cameroonians Better Understand AFRICOM
Embassy Yaounde led a delegation of four Cameroonian journalists and one academic on a tour of the headquarters of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) in Stuttgart, Germany September 14-17. The journalists represented a broad spectrum of the Cameroonian media landscape, including both state-run and private media; Anglophone and Francophone press; and print, radio, and television. The visit began with a tour of Stuttgart and meetings with local German officials to discuss their relations with AFRICOM. Two days spent at Kelley Barracks, where AFRICOM is based, included in-depth briefings and discussions on the various missions and activities of AFRICOM, a courtesy call with AFRICOM commander General William “Kip” Ward, and an interview with the command’s two deputies, Ambassador Anthony Holmes and Vice Admiral Robert Moeller. The trip concluded with visits to the AFN Europe studios in Manheim, the Stars and Stripes office in Kaiserslautern, and Ramstein Air Force base, which hosts U.S. Air Forces Africa.
AFRICOM has received mixed views on the African continent, and rumors persist in Cameroon that the U.S. military intends to place bases in the country and is primarily interested in securing mineral and petroleum rights. Although several of the participants were initially skeptical of AFRICOM, the openness of the staff and their willingness to answer any and every question helped clarify misperceptions about the command’s activities and purpose. “At first, I didn’t trust the United States military in Africa,” one journalist admitted. “But after visiting Kelley Barracks and speaking to everyone from the drivers to General Ward, I better understand the mission. I am now an ambassador for AFRICOM.”