VOA常速英语2007年-US Official Says New Africa Military Command Wi

By Kari Barber
Dakar, Ougadougou
14 November 2007

On a stop in Burkina Faso, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte talked about U.S. plans for a new military command for Africa.  The command has been controversial on the continent where some countries oppose an increased U.S. military presence.  Kari Barber has more from our regional bureau in Dakar.

At a news conference in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou, Negroponte said that as decisions are made on the new Africa command, they will be shared with African countries.

"When we do establish a headquarters of Africa command on the Africa continent, it will be in full consultation¹ and in full transparency with all concerned, including of course the country where it will be established," he said.

U.S. officials have said the so-called Africom will simply reorganize existing U.S. military training and counterterrorsim efforts on the content and will not include new initiatives.

But government officials in Africa's most powerful countries, including South Africa, Nigeria and Libya, have expressed concern about the new command.  Leaders say they worry that more U.S. military involvement could force countries into conflicts that do not concern them and would also give Washington greater influence over the continent.  This, they say, could undermine efforts to build regional solidarity² and minimize dependence³ on the West.

The West African nation of Liberia, which has strong historical ties to the United States, is the only country to openly welcome Africom's eventual⁴ headquarters. 

Experts say the new command reflects the increased strategic importance of Africa to the West as nations compete for influence and resources.

U.S. military officials say they hope the new command will make operations on the continent more effective and organized.

Negroponte says African countries should not see the command as something threatening or unusual.

"We have regional military commands in other parts of the world such as in Europe, East Asia and elsewhere, so there would be nothing unusual about that," he added.

The first U.S. military mission in Africa since the creation of the new command began Monday with the arrival of a U.S. Navy cruiser off the coast of Senegal.  The boat will be used for training African naval⁵ forces in the Gulf⁶ of Guinea.

Africom, expected to be fully⁷ operational in 2008, is temporarily based in Germany while possible locations for headquarters are being weighed.  Experts say it is likely the new command will not be based in one place, but with multiple bases in several countries on the continent.

While in Ouagadougou, Negroponte also talked about problems facing Africa's cotton industry, which is a substantial part of Burkina Faso's economy.  Negroponte said the United States is reconsidering agricultural subsidies⁸ to its own farmers, which make it difficult for Africa's cotton to compete with cotton from America and Europe.  Negroponte says the United States will be watching what the European Union does about its own subsidies.

The World Trade Organization has ruled that U.S. subsidies to its cotton sector⁹ need to be eliminated, while African leaders have called for a quicker phase out than the suggested U.S. timetable.

Negroponte's West Africa tour also included stops in Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Mali.

1 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。

2 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

3 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

4 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

5 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

6 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

7 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

8 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。