WASHINGTON, Feb 6: The United States will set up a regional command for Africa to oversee military activities there, officials said on Tuesday in a move reflecting US fears that some nations may be harbouring suspected terror groups.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates told the Senate Armed Services Committee that President George Bush had decided to create the new command to replace `an outdated arrangement left over from the Cold War’. The Africa Command would `oversee security, cooperation, building partnership capability, defence support to non-military missions, and, if directed, military operations on the African continent,” Mr Gates said.

The United States has grown increasingly concerned that some African countries are providing sanctuary for militant groups, and is keen to prevent east Africa from taking over from Afghanistan as a safe haven for Al Qaeda.

Current responsibility for Africa within the Pentagon is shared out among three regional commands.

Until now the continent has fallen mainly under the US European Command, which also has taken on new responsibilities in recent years with growing relations with Russia and the former Soviet republics.

Central Command (Centcom), which oversees the Middle East, is responsible for the Horn of Africa while Pacific Command has watch over Madagascar.

“This (new) command will enable us to have a more effective and integrated approach than the current arrangement of dividing Africa between Central Command and European Command,” Mr Gates said. Washington would work closely with the European and African allies in setting up the command, Mr Gates said.But it was unclear whether the command headquarters would be located in the region or in the United States, as are the US Central Command, the Southern Command, and the Pacific Command.

The lone US Army base on the continent is stationed in Djibouti, where some 1,700 troops are billeted in a former headquarters of the French Foreign Legion.

About 100 soldiers from the base, which was set up four years ago, are currently deployed in Ethiopia to train Ethiopian troops.

The US Navy aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower is also deployed with an air-naval group in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia.—AFP