18 November 1999
NATO Commander Cites Success of U.S.-African Partnership
(Gen. Clark thanks Senegal for hosting ACSS) (620) By Jim Fisher-Thompson Washington File Staff Correspondent Dakar, Senegal -- General Wesley Clark, supreme allied commander in Europe (SACEUR) for U.S. and NATO forces, presided over the closing of the first African Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) seminar, terming it "a remarkable educational endeavor." Before recognizing the officers and civil servants from more than 40 African nations who attended the October 30 to November 12 event, Clark told a news conference on November 12 that ACSS is "a unique opportunity to bring together very high-ranking military and civilian officials to talk about ... all of the relationships that help determine peace and set the basis for development in Africa." He added that "the United States looks very seriously" at the issues of democracy and development challenging the continent, noting that "we view ourselves being very much in partnership with the nations of Africa. We have many common interests and we want to work together to address these common interests." Turning to the chief of Senegal's General Staff, General Mamadou Seck, Clark said, "I would like to say to all of you just how pleased we are with the tremendous support we have received from Senegal in this first session ever of the African Center for Strategic Studies." Clark, whose European command also covers most of Africa for training and logistical purposes, said, "I think this has been an extraordinarily successful two weeks." He was particularly impressed with "the high degree of candor and frankness" that characterized the ACSS discussions on the proper role of the military in a democracy. General Seck also pointed to "the harmony in academic reflection" that he had observed during the ACSS seminar. Asked what he believed the role of soldiers should be in a democratic society, Clark said: "They should assist democratically elected leaders by providing confidence and assurance to the people that they are safe. They do [carry out] emergency activities inside their country if they have to, for example, flood and disaster relief, and they may participate beyond their own borders in approved peacekeeping activities." Performing this safety and stability role, he said, is especially important "for investment and development to occur." In that regard, he pointed out that "this ACSS effort is designed to help lay a foundation to enable Africa's soldiers and leaders ... to develop their own institutions; to develop their own regional and subregional cooperation mechanisms; and to strengthen their ability to deal with the problems that inevitably arise" under the pressures of development. Asked if ACSS would diminish interest in other U.S.-African programs, such as the African Crisis Response Initiative (ACRI) -- the U.S. initiative designed to enhance African militaries' peacekeeping capabilities -- ACSS Interim Director Nancy Walker said, "Absolutely not. "Both of these programs, along with programs under the European Command, headed by General Clark, are part and parcel of the overall strategy of proactive engagement that President Clinton talks about when he talks about partnerships for the 21st century." Walker explained that "ACRI is a training program for soldiers to enhance their capacity to respond more effectively and quickly in peace operations. ACSS is a high-level exercise bringing together civilian and military leaders. The two programs are in no way competitive." In assessing the value of the seminar, Walker recalled, "I said in the beginning I thought this seminar would be successful if the participants felt comfortable talking, sharing their views openly in the spirit of non-attribution and academic freedom. We have been highly successful at that." (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State.)
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