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Gen. James Hecker, Commander of the U.S. Air Forces, Europe and Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Photo: State Department.
Gen. James Hecker, Commander of the U.S. Air Forces, Europe and Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA), says the U.S. Air Force will carry out airstrikes against terrorist targets across Africa in a gesture that signals bad times for ISIS, Boko Haram, others.
Hecker stated this at a digital news conference while attending the 2025 African Air Chiefs’ Symposium (AACS), on Wednesday in Lusaka, Zambia.
The digital conference was organised to enable Gen. Hecker to discuss U.S. commitments to military partnerships with African nations and AACS operations.
Hecker said terrorist groups like ISIS were high-value targets that threatened African nations and the U.S., and would be targeted by the U.S, as it did against ISIS in Somalia recently.
“They are significant high-value targets that threaten African nations and threaten the United States.
“So we will continue to go after terrorist organisations that threaten our African partners as well as the United States,” he said.
Hecker said that the U.S. was willing to collaborate with African air forces, not only by way of security support, but also through humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts.
On Boko Haram insurgency, and how the U.S. Air Force can help the Nigerian military achieve air superiority over the terrorists, he said the U.S. had already been supporting Nigeria.
“Well, I think as you know, the U.S. Government has provided training and equipment to Nigeria for quite a while, so hopefully that will help them out.
“But what we’re looking at in this conference is not that. We’re not talking about air superiority or conflict.
“We’re talking about how we can help each other – African nations can help one another – and that’s what the goal of this conference is,” Hecker said.
Also speaking, Zambia’s Air Force Commander, Lt.-Gen. Oscar Nyoni, gave an insight into the symposium and how AACS member states would respond to humanitarian needs, if a disaster struck.
According to him, with AACS, humanitarian/disaster needs like foodstuff, logistics, supplies and aerial vehicles will be easily provided by member states contributing whatever they are able to contribute.
“Remember, we are an air force – we are air forces that have come together, and with our friends from the U.S. and all the other member-states.
“It becomes easier for logistics to come on board and makes it easy for the one who is in trouble to be assisted. The more the numbers, the better for us,” Nyoni said. (NAN)
