Here’s What Esper’s AFRICOM Review Has Decided So Far by Aaron Mehta – Military Times
Facing skepticism from members of Congress about plans to alter force posture in Africa, Defense Secretary Mark Esper told members of the House Armed Services Committee that he remains committed to keeping U.S. forces on the continent.
“There are no plans to completely withdraw all forces from Africa,” Esper said Wednesday.
As part of a broader review of the force structure for the combatant commands, Esper has been considering moving forces out of U.S. Africa Command’s area of operations. Reports emerged at the end of 2019 that the department was looking at removing several hundred forces from Niger, Chad and Mali.
Esper has consistently stressed that no final decisions have been made on rotating forces in or out of AFRICOM, but that has done nothing to stall bipartisan blowback in Congress, including from HASC Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., and ranking member Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, who sent a joint letter to Esper raising concerns in January…