Military Intelligence in Africa: Network Lens and Culture-Centric Focus

n/a

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12700/jceeas.2025.5.3.385

Keywords:

Military intelligence, Africa, United States, network-centric

Abstract

The evolving dynamics of US-China competition in Africa are examined with respect to military presence, soft power, and intelligence. A network-centric approach with sensitivity to cultural understanding is explored for US military intelligence (USMI) on the African continent, i.e., identifying key nodes, link creation, and centrality within the African intelligence network. Challenges and risks are acknowledged. A comprehensive approach is proposed, including private sector involvement, to maximize USMI's impact and resilience in the African environment. Key recommendations pivot on network-centricity in Africa, US-Africa intelligence services collaboration, and strategic partnerships to effectively navigate the complex geopolitical landscape and counter Chinese influence.

Author Biographies

Brock A. Salgado , West Point, USA

Brock A. Salgado is First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army’s First Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF), a unit at the forefront of the Army’s modernization program. As a Field Artillery Officer, he is assigned to 5-3 Long Range Fires Battalion (LRFB) where he has served as a Platoon Leader for both the HIMARS Battery and the Long-Range Hypersonic Battery. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point where he earned a Bachelor of Science with a Major in Arabic a Minor in Grand Strategy.

Affiliation: West Point, USA

Email: brock.a.salgado.mil@army.mil

John John Melkon , West Point, USA

John Melkon II is a PhD Candidate in Military Sciences at Stellenbosch University. He holds various degrees including an AB from Princeton, and MAs at Columbia and Texas A&M University. He is an Assistant Professor of Geography at the United States Military Academy at West Point, the Director of the Center for the Study of Civil-Military Operations and serves as an Extraordinary Professor of Practice at North West University in South Africa. He is a retired US Army Special Forces Officer with combat experience in the Middle East and operational experience in Africa. 

Affiliation: West Point, USA

Email: john.melkon@westpoint.edu

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Published

2025-11-12

How to Cite

Putter, D., Salgado , B. A., & John Melkon , J. (2025). Military Intelligence in Africa: Network Lens and Culture-Centric Focus : n/a. Journal of Central and Eastern European African Studies, 5(3), 84–101. https://doi.org/10.12700/jceeas.2025.5.3.385

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 3 (2025): JCEEAS - Vol 5. Number 3 2025

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Copyright (c) 2025 Dries Putter, Brock A. Salgado , John John Melkon

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