US to establish Africa Command

Washington, Feb 7 (UNI) The Bush administration has announced the creation of a new US military command for Africa by September next year, to consolidate responsibility for military activities on the continent under a top-level commander, rather than dividing responsibility among three commanders whose primary duties are elsewhere.

The new command will cover all of Africa except Egypt, which will remain under the responsibility of Central Command, the unit that also handles the rest of the West and Central Asia.

The assistant secretary of defence for African affairs, Theresa Whelan, said the move is designed to provide more focus for the US military's efforts in an increasingly important part of the world.

UNI