“There is no American military base in Algeria,” says Africom commander

Major General David R. Hogg, Commander of Africom’s land forces denied news reported by French media that there is an American military base in the Algerian desert. “There is no American military base in Algeria. America has a lot to learn from the Algerian experience,” he said.

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  Hogg also said the US did not have any intention to transfer the US Army Africa from Germany or Africom’s headquarters in Italy to any other African country.

  “There is no plan to transfer the headquarters and there is possibility to study that,” he told a news conference at the US embassy in Algiers.

  He added that Afiricom’s priority at present is coordination and information exchange with Africa’s nations to fight terrorism and organised crime.

  He also said Africom can not intervene in any African country without a request from that country. “Security in the Sahel is a regional and territorial issue.”

  “Our response is limited in concerned countries’ request.”

  He added that Africom’s role is limited in coordination and information exchange. “The Algerian role in the region is important and leading. Algeria did not ask Africom to intervene in the Sahel.”

  According to him, Africom faces many challenges in Africa. Of them, there is the modernisation of security and military forces in those countries. “Relations with the US and Algeria are very big in coordination, cooperation, information and experiences exchange. Algeria has done a lot in the fight against terrorism since 1991. That made the US caring a lot about cooperation with Algeria.”

   “We have a lot to learn from the Algerian experience,” he said.

  Major General Hogg said he met a number of Algerian and military officials on his visit to Algeria. He talked to them about ways to improve military and security cooperation between the US and Algeria and to coordinate efforts to fight terrorism.
  

  He believed that his visit is an opportunity to reconfirm the US support to Algeria’s efforts in fighting terrorism.
  

  He said he scheduled joint war trainings with Algerian military officials between the US Army Africa, Africom and Algerian land forces due to start in 2013.
  

  He refused to answer journalists’ questions about information about Africom published on Wikileaks. “I know that you will ask me about Wikileaks. I have instructions to not make any statement about Wikileaks,” he said.