Nairobi — The United States military command for Africa (Africom) is gaining acceptance on the continent and is planning to increase its support for the African Union force in Somalia, the command's leader said last week.

In a speech to a group of Africa specialists at a think tank in Washington, Gen William Ward emphasised that Africom is engaged in "a sustained, long-term endeavour."

Saying "we have turned a corner," Gen Ward suggested that African leaders are growing less sceptical of the purposes of the three-year-old command which is headquartered in Germany.

African nations have been reluctant to host Africom due to suspicions of American intentions as well as fears that a US military installation would invite attacks

At the same time, Africom is moving to expand its operations -- not in the form of uniformed US troops, but through private contractors who will assist in efforts to safeguard American interests in Africa.

A Paris-based newsletter reported last month that Africom is soliciting bids for an air reconnaissance programme as part of the State Department's Trans-Sahara Counter-Terrorism Partnership.

Under this initiative, Africom works with 10 countries in the Maghreb and West Africa to monitor and disrupt Al Qaeda's activities in those areas.

The surveillance operation outlined in Africom's call for bids will involve two unmarked reconnaissance aircraft as well as a drone, or "unmanned aerial vehicle," according to Maghreb Confidential, a publication of the Africa Intelligence group.

Three teams of private contractors serving as pilots, analysts and technicians will conduct intelligence missions in coordination with the militaries of the countries where they will be based, the newsletter reported.

Africom will also buy 83 four-wheel-drive vehicles that "must be able to drive unnoticed on African roads," according to the Maghreb Confidential account.

The unmarked vehicles are to be delivered to countries taking part in the Trans-Sahara counter-terrorism programme.

Africom's move to contract with private firms for counter-terrorism operations coincides with a $375 million State Department initiative involving use of US profit-making companies to train the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and other African countries.

This African Peacekeeping Programme (Africap) also involves construction work on behalf of selected countries' militaries.

Private US military contractors have also worked with the Ugandan and Burundian troops assigned to the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom).

And Gen Ward indicated last week that Africom will be seeking ways to bolster Amisom's capabilities in the wake of the recent terror bombings in Kampala carried out by Somalia's Al Shabaab insurgents.

He ruled out direct US military involvement in Somala on the grounds that it would represent "an irritant and a distraction."

The US is also worried about the presence of Al Qaeda and other militant Islamist groups in the trans-Sahara region.

The instability they breed there as well as in East Africa can lead to "attacks against US persons and interests around the world, or, in the worst case, against the US homeland," Gen Ward warned last week.

In his speech at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, the general depicted Africom as a force for stability and good governance in Africa.

He said its purpose is to help African leaders achieve their stated aim of developing "self-sustaining, accountable" security forces in their countries.

Gen Ward added that Africom's long-term commitment to assisting African forces will be implemented "on an African, not an American, time-line."

Some analysts argue that Africom's main aim is to help secure the oil and gas supplies that the United States relies on receiving from Africa.

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