News

09 October 1997

CONG. MENENDEZ HAILS POTENTIAL OF ACRI FOR AFRICANS

(FR) (Initiative will save lives and tight U.S. dollars) (500)

By Jim Fisher-Thompson

USIA Staff Writer



WASHINGTON -- A senior Congressional leader has praised the
all-African peacekeeping initiative being promoted by the Clinton
administration because it helps spread out the economic burden of
humanitarian missions in sub-Saharan Africa.


Representative Robert Menendez, the ranking minority member of the
House of Representatives African Subcommittee, told a subcommittee
hearing on the African Crisis Response Initiative (ACRI) October 8
that "as one of the world's great powers, we do have a responsibility
and desire to help to resolve conflicts and alleviate human suffering,
where we can."


One of the best ways to accomplish that in sub-Saharan Africa, he
added, is for Congress to back the ACRI, which he termed a cost
effective partnership with Africans -- in part because it will serve
"as an alternative" to extremely expensive U.S. troop deployments.


"In just the last few years," said the lawmaker, "we have had American
troops in Somalia, Liberia, Rwanda, Angola, the Central African
Republic and Zaire. The cost of the Somalia operation alone was well
over $750 million for a humanitarian operation. By comparison, the
cost of the ACRI, an estimated $25 million to $40 million, is quite
low considering the cost of full-scale U.S. involvement during a
crisis."


Menendez emphasized that "while I expect that there will continue to
be circumstances under which the U.S. will deploy troops or contribute
troops to U.N. missions in Africa, it is preferable to empower
Africans by teaching and assisting them to conduct their own
humanitarian, peacekeeping and peace restoration missions."


ACRI, which aims to develop a peacekeeping response capability of
between 8,000 and 10,000 African troops, also has the backing of
France, Britain, Canada, Brazil and Japan, which were consulted by
U.S. officials before actual instruction began by Defense Department
trainers in Senegal, Uganda and Malawi.


Regarding who will control the ACRI, Menendez stated that "although it
would take its mandate for deployment from the U.N. Security Council,
it would allow Africans to actively solve African problems [because]
the nature of the ACRI will allow the OAU [Organization of African
Unity] and African countries to have a greater say in what actions the
Security Council takes on their continent."


Menendez also pointed out that "perhaps, the greatest benefits to be
derived from the ACRI is the presence of [African] forces on the
ground and ready to respond to a crisis -- not only will this cut
response time during a humanitarian crisis and save more lives, but
hopefully the existence of the ACRI will be a a deterrent to violence
on the continent."


Even where ACRI is not a deterrent to violence, Menendez asserted, "it
will still provide an opportunity to restore peace before a situation
escalates out of control -- which usually occurs long before we can
mobilize troops coming from abroad."