THE GREENSBORO TIMES 13 The Problem with America’s


Military in Africa BY BRIAN E. MUHAMMAD


lines, power grids, ports and other infrastructure projects meant to connect China to the world. However, with its massive military budget that grew under President Don- ald Trump, the U.S. is more confident in its military might. “That’s the card that it’s playing; the military card,” said Dr. Horne. The U.S. outspends China militarily and as the number one purveyor of weapons and military technology globally, America is in demand by gov- ernments, including in Africa. “It’s an added benefit, from Washington’s point of view, that it allows the United States to get closer to the military in other countries,” Dr. Horne said. Brian Becker, national coordinator of ANSWER (Act Now to End War and Racism Coalition) added that with the establishment of AFRICOM, America is setting the stage with its influence. He believes the United States recognizes that China and other major global powers are establishing economic ties with African nations. “The U.S. is in fact involved in a scramble or a competition for domination over Af-


American Military in Africa > page 15


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Experts say there are assorted reasons why the United States military is in Africa. Everything from fighting terror and extremism to capac- ity training of African armies, humanitarian aid as well as supporting longtime geopolitical allies are cited as reasons for American involve- ment in the Motherland. However noble some of these reasons sound, the U.S. has a sordid history that includes imperialism and internal meddling in Africa, say those who question the American military presence. Officially the U.S. maintains only one military base in Africa, in the small country of Djibouti, but is involved in countries across the con- tinent. The central command for the U.S. military stamp on Africa is AFRICOM which began a decade ago under the George W. Bush administration. It is headquartered in Germany. —NEWS ANALYSIS— “The United States has historically been involved in the continent,” said Dr. Amy Pate, research director at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism. During the Cold War years with the old Soviet Union, U.S. involve- ment in Africa was motivated, in part, out of competition with the Communist nation Soviet Union, now it’s driven by strategic competi- tion mainly with China, she said. “So, it’s more economic, whereas during the Cold War it was more ideological,” Dr. Pate told The Final Call. The increased focus on Africa by world powers comes amid a time of economic trouble and decline for America and its Western counter- parts. As a continent with vast natural resources and a population of 1.22 billion people, Africa is a target for exploitation, said some analysts. Military operations are an extension of political and economic opera- tions. Africa watchers say this provides the basis of what drives U.S. Africa policy. The U.S. is trailing in the business competition with China and finds its advantage on the world stage in its military might, said Dr. Gerald Horne, University of Houston professor of history and African Ameri- can studies. “The United States feels—perhaps correctly— that it cannot compete financially and economically with China, particularly in light of Chi- na’s one belt, one road initiative, which among other things is going to build up infrastructure in Africa,” said Dr. Horne. The initiative is a project pushed by Chinese President Xi Jinping who has made significant trade deals in Africa. The “one road” objective is to build trade routes between China and Central Asia, Europe and Indo-Pacific countries. The “one belt” is a waterway, network oil pipe-


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