Senegal's Chief of Defense makes history at AFRICOM

By Staff Sgt. Amanda McCartyFebruary 20, 2010

Senegal's Chief of Defense makes history at AFRICOM
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – STUTTGART, Germany - Gen. William E. Ward, commander, U.S. Africa Command, talks with Lt. Gen. Abdoulaye Fall, chief of defense staff, Senegalese Armed Forces, during an office call held February 11, 2010, at Kelley Barracks. Fall is the first Africa... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Senegal's Chief of Defense makes history at AFRICOM
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – STUTTGART, Germany - Gen. William E. Ward, commander, U.S. Africa Command, greets Lt. Gen. Abdoulaye Fall, chief of defense staff, Senegalese Armed Forces, upon his arrival February 11, 2010, to Kelley Barracks. Fall is the first African defense chie... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

STUTTGART, Germany, Feb 11, 2010 - Lt. Gen. Abdoulaye Fall, chief of defense staff, Senegalese Armed Forces, made history February 11, 2010, by becoming the first African defense chief to visit U.S. Africa Command headquarters.

Fall attended an office call with Gen. William E. Ward, commander, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), and held briefings and discussions with other senior leaders from the command.

"I'm very committed to keep on sharing this partnership with AFRICOM," said Fall.

Six other senior Senegalese military officials also visited the command headquarters February 8-11, to discuss security cooperation goals and plan future activities with the command and its service components.

"I can say that all the activities that have planned, well, we receive them very positively and I commit myself and my armed forces to participate in them," Fall said.

The delegation received in-depth briefings on various command programs and toured component headquarters Marine Corps Forces Africa and Special Operations Command Africa. The Senegalese officials, representatives from Senegal's various Armed Forces branches (Navy, Army, Air Force and Gendarmerie), also shared information about their programs and activities.

Fall also commented on the command's partnership with Senegal, saying, he appreciated the efforts by U.S. Africa Command in "enhancing African capabilities and capacities to better face security challenges, assisting armed forces in modernizing their tools, enhancing the capacities of their militaries in trying to make them more professional ones and also their efforts in doing to help Africans better manage security issues and involve themselves in security issues."

The partnership with Senegal will continue with initiatives such as Africa Partnership Station, which focuses on building cooperative relationships to achieve common international goals such as stability and security.

Senegalese guests will depart Stuttgart February 12.

Related Links:

U.S. Africa Command

U.S. Army news from Africa

U.S. Army Africa