Please join SID-Washington's security and development workgroup and Africa regional roundtable for this co-sponsored discussion.

The establishment of a new Africa Command (AFRICOM) has generated optimism about the possibilities to address security and development challenges in Africa while at the same time creating concerns about a "U.S. militarization" of the continent. This roundtable will highlight AFRICOM's agenda, both near and long term, its rationale and hopes, as well as recommendations that others have made to improve its operations and the reasons why some have opposed the initiative.

Featured Panelists:

Theresa Whelan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs
See her August 2 testimony to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs at
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/whe080207.htm.

Nicole Lee, Executive Director of the TransAfrica Forum
See her November 19 op-ed in The Nation at http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071119/glover_lee.

Mark Malan, Peacebuilding Program Officer, Refugees International See his August testimony to the Senate Commitee on Foreign Relations at http://www.senate.gov/~foreign/testimony/2007/MalanTestimony070801.pdf