Conference

West Africa and the U.S. 'War on Terror'

Friday-Saturday, October 30-31, 2009
Mershon Center for International Security Studies
1501 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43201

Organizers
Kelechi Kalu, Department of African and African American Studies, The Ohio State University
Laura Joseph, Center for African Studies, The Ohio State University
George Klay Kieh, College of Arts and Sciences, University of West Georgia

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10.30.09 Session I: U.S./Africa Relations: General Overview
10.30.09 Session II: The West African Security Environment
10.30.09 Session III: U.S. and West Africa: Threat Perceptions
10.31.09 Session IV: Keynote Address. "Building Coalitions and Communities to End Terror." Ambassador Jendayi E. Frazer
10.31.09 Session V: West Africa and U.S. Security: Policy Instruments
10.31.09 Session VI: U.S./Africa Security Relations: Costs and Implications

Overview
Since September 11, heightened security attention has focused on West Africa.  The vast geographical expanse of the Sahel, with its relatively small governmental infrastructure, makes the region an appealing base for terrorist groups.  One example is the oil-producing Niger-Delta zone of Nigeria.  This area continues to show increasing vulnerability as a failed state, making it a target location to organize and train Islamic militants.

To address such issues, the United States launched a $500 million Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Initiative, which seeks to boost the military capacity of selected West African nations and counter the security threats posed by terrorists.  The establishment of the U.S. military's Africa Command (AFRICOM) in 2007 marks the growing importance of Africa in U.S. security calculations.

According to U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, AFRICOM oversees "security cooperation, partnership capability building, defense support to non-military missions, and, if directed, military operations on the African continent."

Although these new developments represent a dramatic departure from past U.S. policy toward Africa, systematic scholarly efforts to understand these radical transformations are lacking.  This conference seeks to provide a comprehensive study of the evolving U.S.-Africa security partnership.

Participants
Clement Adibe, DePaul University
Pita Ogaba Agbese, University of Northern Iowa
Charles Agbo, National Emergency Management Agency, Nigeria
Gen. Jonah Arogbofa, Nigerian Armed Forces (Ret.)
Boakye Osahene Djan
Idowu Ejere, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex
Jendayi E. Frazer, Carnegie Mellon University; Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
Gen. Russell Howard, University of Montana
Julius Ihonvbere, Former Special Advisor to the President of Nigeria for Policy Monitoring
Kelechi Kalu, The Ohio State University
George Klay Kieh, University of West Georgia
Emmanuel Kwesi-Aning, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center
John Mukum Mbaku, Weber State University
Dean A. Minix, Tarleton State University
Boubacar N'Diaye, The College of Wooster
Julius Nyangoro, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Sylvester Odion-Akhaine, Centre for Constitutionalism & Demilitarization, Lagos, Nigeria
Diane Chinonso Orefo, National Investment Promotion Commission, Abuja, Nigeria
Zakaria Ousman, Consulate of Pakistan in Chad
Vinton M. Prince, Wilmington College
Abdoulaye Saine, Miami University of Ohio
Philip Spangler, AFRICOM

Schedule

Friday, October 30, 2009

8-9 a.m. -- Registration

9-9:30 a.m. -- Opening Remarks
Kelechi Kalu, African American and African Studies, The Ohio State University

9:30-12 p.m. -- U.S.-Africa Relations: General Overview
Clement Adibe, DePaul University
"From Benign Neglect to Strategic Engagement: The Challenge of Transforming America's African Policy in the Age of Obama"

Kelechi Kalu, African American and African Studies, The Ohio State University
"U.S.-Africa Security Relations in the 21st Century: Trends and Implications"

Dean A. Minix, Tarleton State University
Vinton M. Prince, Wilmington College
"Sub-Saharan Africa as another Front of the Global War on Terror"

12-1 p.m. -- Lunch

1-3:30 p.m. -- The West African Security Environment
Zakaria Ousman, Consulate of Pakistan, Chad
"The African Stability Architecture: A New Vision"

Idowu Ejere, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex
"Crisis in the Niger-Delta: Impacts and Reactions from the Youths"

George Klay Kieh, University of West Georgia
"Good Governance, the African Union's Peer Review Mechanism and the New Security Architecture in West Africa"

3:30-3:45 p.m. -- Break

3:45-6 p.m. -- The United States and West Africa: Threat Perceptions
Pita Ogaba Agbese, University of Northern Iowa
"The U.S. War on Terrorism and the Dynamics of Threat Perception in West Africa"

Diane Chinonso Orefo, National Investment Promotion Commission, Abuja, Nigeria
"U.S. Security Interests in West Africa"

Sylvester Odion-Akhaine, Centre for Constitutionalism & Demilitarization, Lagos, Nigeria
"Civil-Military Relations: West Africa in the Wake of the U.S. War
on Terror"

Saturday, October 31, 2009

9:30-10:30 a.m. -- Keynote Address
Jendayi E. Frazer, Distinguished Public Service Professor, Carnegie Mellon; Director, Center for International Politics and Innovation; Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs

10:30-1 p.m. -- West Africa and U.S. Security: Policy Instruments
Abdoulaye Saine, Miami University of Ohio
"The Military and the Insecurity Architecture in West Africa"

Charles Agbo, National Emergency Management Agency, Nigeria
"The United States and Emergency Management in West Africa"

Emmanuel Kwesi-Aning, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center
"The U.S.-Africa Command (AFRICOM): Issues and Perspectives"

Julius N'yangoro, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
"The U.S. Trans-Saharan Counter-Terrorism Initiative: An Evaluation"

Gen. Jonah Arogbofa, Nigerian Armed Forces (Ret.)
"U.S.-Africa Military Cooperation: The View of African Officers"

1-2 p.m. -- Lunch

2–4:30 p.m. -- U.S.-Africa Security Relations: Costs and Implications
John Mukum Mbaku, Weber State University
"U.S.-Africa Relations: The Economics of Military Cooperation"

Boakye Osahene Djan
"The U.S.-Africa Security Relations: Opportunities and Threats"

Philip Spangler, AFRICOM
TBD

Boubacar N'Diaye, The College of Wooster
"The Mauritanian Military and the U.S. War on Terror"

4:30-5 p.m. -- Closing Remarks

Sponsors

West Africa and the United States' "War on Terror" is sponsored by the Center for African Studies, University of West Georgia, and the Mershon Center for International Security Studies.

Kelechi Kalu
Professor of African and African American Studies
The Ohio State University

Laura Joseph
Assistant Director
Center for African Studies
The Ohio State University