The United States is today the foreign country with the largest number of military bases on the African continent. Officially, there are 29 establishments in 15 countries. Tricontinental Institute Dossier Point out that the interests behind this huge presence are undergoing an attempt at political and economic domination and control.
However, the reasons go beyond a simple affirmation of military might. According to the US National Defense Business Operations Plan, “the global portfolio includes more than 568,000 assets (buildings and structures) located in approximately 4,800 locations around the world.”
The data is included in the dossier, a reminder that the discussion exists on the African continent. It was put on the agenda, for example, at the 2016 African Union Peace and Security Council meeting. However, there has been no progress in effective measures to control the US military footprint in the region.
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According to the document prepared by the Tricontinental Institute, it is not only in quantity that American firepower prevails in the countries of Africa. Qualitatively, he also advanced, “the character includes the ability of the United States to defend its interests on the continent and to try to prevent any competition”.
By virtue of this control, the North American country is able to guarantee control of resources and markets. The continent is rich in raw materials for the production of products ranging from weapons to light bulbs.
In addition, Triconental notes China’s attempt to halt progress in Africa. The dossier brings out an excerpt from the US government’s New Strategy for Africa (2019), which took on a competitive tone.
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“The major competing powers, notably China and Russia, are rapidly expanding their financial and political influence in Africa. They deliberately and aggressively direct their investments into the region in order to gain a competitive advantage over the United States. are doing,” the US document said.
Recalling the reflections of former Ghanaian president, Kwame Nkrumah, in his 1965 book Neocolonialism: The Last Stage of Imperialism, the Tricontinental Dossier warns that the landscape has historical motifs and even the unity of the African Union. The organization was not even able to fight. or by the African Union.
“The permanent presence of foreign military bases not only signifies a lack of unity and sovereignty, it also entails fragmentation and subjugation of the peoples and governments of the continent”, the research highlights.
Version: Rebecca Cavalcante
