The commander of U.S. Africa Command conducted his first visit to Africa as the combatant commander…
The commander of U.S. Africa Command conducted his first visit to Africa as the combatant commander Aug. 28-31, 2022.
During his visit, U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley met with leaders of the U.S. Departments of Defense and State, and dignitaries from Djibouti, Somalia and Kenya.
Camp Lemonnier was the initial stop of many during Langley’s first familiarization tour across Africa since taking command of AFRICOM in August. He met with subject matter experts from Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa, Camp Lemonnier, Joint Special Operations Task Force – Somalia and other service components on issues directly related to Africa.
“This team is doing great work at a very strategic position on our globe,” said Langley. “This mission here has been pivitable for a long time, and those in our national leadership for our country understand that. The overall magnitude of this operation is daunting. The men and women of our forces here, doing the daily task, is what adds to the fight against extremist organizations. It thrills me to see everyone here doing what it takes to satisfy the requirements to do that.”
Part of these briefings included how each organization supports each other to strengthen partnerships and influence in the region, protect U.S. interests and respond to threats.
Langley traveled from Camp Lemonnier to meet and build initial relationships with the staff in the U.S. Embassies in Djibouti and Somalia, and received outstation briefings from teams in Somalia and Kenya. These early talks reinforce the whole-of-government messaging approach to the United States’ Africa policy.
“We are incredibly honored to host General Langley,” said U.S. Army Major General Jami C. Shawley, commanding general of CJTF-HOA. “We discussed challenges and opportunities in Africa, so General Langley can report to the Secretary of Defense and Congress the whole story from our service members, civilians and contractors in Africa and highlight what we need to successfully work by, with and through our African partners in line with our defense, diplomacy and development. He is a brilliant leader, and I have no doubt that he’ll continue to advocate for Africa on the global stage to ensure all of us understand how important this continent is to the entire world.”
