FOREIGN TROOPS SWAMP AFRICA MORE THAN EVER

There are more foreign troops in Africa than during the colonial era, and we should be worried. That’s the warning from Senegalese diplomat, Abdoulaye Bathily, who was speaking at the recent Thabo Mbeki Africa Liberation Day lecture in South Africa. And when you look at the numbers, you can understand his concern.

In 2019, the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) revealed it had 34 U.S military bases and 6,000 troops on the continent. The same year, the French Ministry of Defence admitted to having over 7,500 soldiers based in Africa. But their presence hasn’t led to peace. In fact, the situation has worsened in many regions.

Take the Sahel, for example. After NATO armed rebels to overthrow Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, the insurgents flooded south, and triggered a horrific wave of terrorism. In 2022 terrorists killed close to 8,000 people in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali. That’s compared to 30 people in 2002. The huge increase happening despite the existence of several American and French military sites and Africa’s most expensive drone base in Niger.

In East Africa, there’s a similar story. The rise of terror group al-Shabaab can be traced to the American-backed Ethiopian invasion of Somalia. Before 2006, the Islamic Courts Union provided the only semblance of stability in the country since the overthrow of Siad Barre in 1991.

So, as Professor Bathily explains in this clip, it’s ‘worrisome’ to put it mildly.
Too bad other countries don’t seem to think so, like Kenya. It’s just been designated a major non-Nato ally and in 2023 signed a five-year ‘defence co-operation agreement’ with the US. worth $100m.