Dear Delegates,
Greetings! My name is Eamon Nolan and I’m the Chair for this year’s simulation of the Department of Defense’s African Command or AFRICOM, for short. I’m really excited to simulate one of the new facets in the American foreign policy machine. We have spent a lot of time pondering how to make this simulation unique and stimulating; I hope everyone enjoys it!
First, personal background. I’m a rising senior in our School of Foreign Service. I study International Politics, specifically security studies as well as International Business Diplomacy (the role business interests play in international relations), and I am hoping to be fluent in Chinese by the fall. This will be my fourth and final NCSC. Last year I chaired the amazing European Union and before that I was involved with the International Criminal Court. Potentially most importantly, I am also one of two people responsible for the “social activities” of our International Relations Club. So if you’re looking for a good time, who better than the chair that plans them?! I’m joined on the dias by the lovely Sarah Helinek, a rising junior who is studying Science, Technology, and International Affairs. We both, in a word, are pumped for AFRICOM.
By the beginning of October, AFRICOM is expected to have “stood up.” It is the newest addition to the Regional Combatant Command structure used by DoD. The command is designed to analyze trends in the AOR (Area of Responsibility) and make recommendations how best to approach questions. While the command is a military command, AFRICOM will not be limited to military operations. It is the next step in innovation by the DoD in that it has built the inter-agency process incorporated into the command structure. The most prominent example of this is the second highest ranking official is an Ambassador form the Department of State. To quote the SOUTHCOM Congressional liaison, “We don’t launch tomahawks, we launch ideas.”
For the duration of the simulation, you will be representing different agencies in the United States government. The idea behind the simulation will each delegation will be arguing how to best solve the question given that delegation’s institutional bias. The Defense Dept. sees questions from the perspective of security sector reform, while USAID might look at the question through a humanitarian prism. Yet all the delegations must work towards the same goal, primarily achieving US objectives in the region and in the National Security Strategy.
The dias is hoping to incorporate a budget into the simulation. One of the first lessons to living life inside the Beltway is to “follow the money.” Title 10 of the United States Code prohibits money allotted to the Defense Department being given to other countries. We will ignore that stipulation. At the beginning of the conference, the delegates will be given credits that can be spent on anything. Everything has a price though. One of the questions of policy recommendations will be which agency gets what funds. So while one may be representing a marginalized agency, the Dept. of the Treasury for example, one will still have to vote for who gets what money and that gives one’s delegation importance.
We will be entertaining three topics for debate. The first is the question of Somalia. The state has failed to support two successive governments since the 1990s. The country is wracked by a myriad of problems. A US-supported Ethiopian force recently invaded Somalia in an effort to disband the UIC and prop up the UN-backed coalition. Given its strategic location in the Horn of Africa, the presence of questionably aligned Islamic groups, and the presence of JTF-HOA in Eritrea, stability in Somalia is a key regional-objective. The second topic is the Democratic Republic of Congo. Afrter the fall of Mobutu, the country never stabilized. There is currently minority unrest in sections of the Congo, non-government military forces operating in the country, and weak governing institutions. DRC is at the centre of the African continent and one of the sources of Pan-Africanism. Achieving stability here is important. The third topic is any issue of the day. As seen in the case of Kenya, things can change quickly. If there is a significant destabilizing event in AFRICOM’s AOR, expect it to be discussed.
There are two more things to note about the simulation. The first is this is not a crisis simulation. Expect the debate to run in the same manner as a regular GA or ECOSOC. The second is the emphasis for debate is creating a stable environment. The idea behind AFRICOM is the help Africa undertake security sector reform in the hope that a peaceful environment will allow the seeds of democracy to take root. As such, the debate will be focused on creating a peaceful environment inside the country. However, security is not only dependent on strong militaries or police forces, but also cooperative neighbors, economic growth, and civil society.
Both Sarah and I are really excited for this! The weekend and the simulation are going to be a lot of fun. If you have any questions, feel free to email me and I’ll reply as promptly as possible. I can’t wait to meet you all in the fall!
Sincerely,
Eamon Nolan
