Stuttgart, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany — More than 160 civilian and military representatives from the Departments of War, State and Commerce met March 26-27, 2026, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, to identify strategic priorities and opportunities for the United States in Africa as part of the Africa Strategic Integration Dialogue (ASID).
STUTTGART, Germany — More than 160 civilian and military representatives from the Departments of War, State and Commerce met March 26-27, 2026, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, to identify strategic priorities and opportunities for the United States in Africa as part of the Africa Strategic Integration Dialogue (ASID).
The forum strengthened interagency coordination on security, stability and investment to promote U.S. and African prosperity.
“The goal of convening this esteemed group is for us to understand how each supports the other in facilitating opportunities in support of U.S. interests and in support of our African partners,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Garrick Harmon, director of Strategy, Engagement and Programs, U.S. Africa Command. “This year, with the addition of the Department of Commerce we can look at where we have increased opportunities on the continent where there is a security and economic nexus.”
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This conference builds on the outcomes of the interagency ASD, held in Feb. at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.
“At ASD our leaders charged us with what they want us to do and now we get to decide how to do it,” Harmon said. He urged the group to “be frank in assessments, challenge assumptions, and be creative in making solutions.”
Christopher Mamaux, deputy assistant Secretary of War for Security Cooperation; and Nick Checker, senior bureau official, Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State also attended the forum, supporting interagency discussions at the two-day event.
“Africa’s [theater] is an economy of force, so the purpose of this dialogue is to let us look at how we’re implementing the national security strategy,” Checker said. “We must be meticulous in exacting about where we deploy instruments of national power. The question that we all ask ourselves is, does every tax dollar further American foreign policy?”
The forum began with plenary sessions that outlined the strategic landscape in Africa, including the U.S. vision for engagement, AFRICOM’s role, and joint Commerce-State efforts to facilitate investment. Building on this framework, participants then joined breakout sessions to explore the tactical side of engagement. These smaller groups discussed inter-departmental collaboration, methods for enabling commercial diplomacy, and how enhancing partner security directly fosters economic growth and stability.
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“Security is the foundation for investment,” Checker said. “The more we can invest in their countries, the better the stability will be.”
Terrorist groups like al Qaeda and al Shabaab exploit economic instability for recruitment. Fostering investment in Africa creates the security and stability needed to counter this threat. Stable African economies protect U.S. national security by curbing the spread of extremist ideology, securing critical supply chains, and preventing the creation of ungoverned spaces that can be used for international terror operations.
“The power of this interagency forum is it allows us to talk from the strategic to the tactical level on how we can best coordinate, cooperate and collaborate in support of U.S. foreign policy goals and in support of our African partners,” Harmon said.
