18 March 1949
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was formed at the end of World War II. European countries needed insurance and security against The Soviet Union. Another reason was to encourage European political integration. One hundred and ten thousand military personnel are engaged in NATO missions around the world, either in combat or peacekeeping. In Africa, the organisation is has had countless missions in North and East Africa.
References

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, A short history of NATO, [online], Available at: www.nato.int [Accessed: 17 March 2014]|History, Formation of NATO and Warsaw Pact, [online] Available at: www.history.com [Accessed: 17 March 2014]