S&S - GAO: AFRICOM must end misperceptions. Report says agency must better convey its mission, focus.

Stars and Stripes



GAO: AFRICOM must end misperceptions


Report says agency must better convey its mission, focus


By Jennifer H. Svan, Stars and Stripes

Mideast edition, Friday, April 3, 2009

Matthew Bookwalter/Courtesy of U.S. Navy
Lt. Cmdr. Shay Razmi, a dental officer, examines the teeth of students from the Twin-City Special School for the Mentally Handicapped on March 5 during the USS Nashville’s 18-day port visit to Sekondi, Ghana, in support of Africa Partnership Station.

U.S. Africa Command needs to do a better job of conveying its mission and focus, if it is to overcome lingering concerns that the Defense Department is trying to militarize U.S. foreign policy in Africa, according to a government report issued last week.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"Combating those misperceptions about its role on the African continent is one of three hurdles to the ultimate success of the Pentagon’s newest combatant command, according to a Government Accountability Office report.

The GAO found problems with AFRICOM’s efforts to integrate its headquarters staff with personnel from other agencies, such as the State and Treasury departments. "