NEW DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL SECURITY TELLS DCI

C O N F I D E N T I A L ACCRA 000086 SIPDIS AF/FO FOR A/S FRAZER; NAIROBI FOR AMBASSADOR RANNENBERGER; USEUCOM FOR AMBASSADOR YATES E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/18/2018 TAGS: GH MARR PTER SUBJECT: NEW DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL SECURITY TELLS DCI AFRICOM "VERY SENSITIVE" AND UNPOPULAR WITH MOST AFRICAN NATIONS Classified By: Ambassador Pamela E. Bridgewater under section 1.5 b) and d) 1.(C) During a courtesy call on the newly named Director of National Security, Dr. Amoo, DCI General Michael Hayden (who is visiting Ghana on a fact finding tour of Africa) solicited Amoo's thoughts about AFRICOM. Amoo, a Ph.D from SAIS, quickly responded that for Ghana AFRICOM is a "very sensitive matter", and that most African governments share this sentiment. Amoo recalled Nigeria's outright rejection (which suggested Nigeria spoke for the entire continent). He said there has not been a single "positive " report on AFRICOM in the local media. Amoo said that "no one has been able to come out openly in support of AFRICOM because there is a real fear that a U.S. military presence in Africa will spawn terrorism"; he specifically said Al Quaeda. General Hayden said that AFRICOM was established because Africa is of greater importance to the United States. He noted that while stationed at EUCOM, U.S. reactions to situations on the African continent were mostly "reactive". Planning and thinking were of an emergency nature and AFRICOM is an attempt to avoid this in the future. Hayden continued that "our intentions are good" and that we can be much more effective with a unified command dedicated principally to Africa. Amoo responded that there is a "genuine" fear of terrorism among most African states and people if the U.S. is identified with a base in any one of the African countries, and that as a result of this fear, Africans could "easily be blackmailed". BRIDGEWATER