Simple question. Why should the Army focus on Africa. The general's answer was babbling nonsense.

via Defense News.

Q. Why should the Army focus on Africa? 

A. Africa is an enduring interest to the United States, so it matters for a number of reasons — and it is not just us, but Europe as well. When you look at the instability that we see, that ... can impact the United States, our partners, Partner African Nations and, of course, allies as well.

The security instability in Africa, combined with the youth bulge that is occurring on the continent itself, the lack of economic activities, lend themselves to tripling the number of African immigrants that we have seen crossing Mediterranean Europe in the last five years.

So it is in our best interest to look at Africa, at not only these challenges but the opportunities that lie ahead for us. And that if we do not invest in Africa, if we do not help our African partner nations in building stability and building economies and strengthening democratic institutions, then it is going to be a much more difficult challenge in the future.

The interview was with the US Army Africa Commander.  Read the whole thing here. 

My point?

What he listed as a reason why we should be involved in Africa was NOT a military issue.

It was economic.

So if we're to believe this Army General then there is no REAL military solution to the "Africa" problem.  If we're to believe this guy then its a problem better left to the state dept and USAID...maybe the commerce dept.  But NOT the Pentagon.

If this guy is right then the Chinese are doing it right and we're doing it wrong.

I keep saying it and no one believes me.  Everyone is falling into the tired meme of "providing security and stability".  We aren't.  We're looking at a confluence of events that will lead to either resolution or a tipping point.

But they can't be solved at the barrel of a gun.