Africom: a Grand Step on the Militarization of Africa

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Editor's Note: (from IHT) The headquarters of the U.S. military's nascent regional command for Africa will remain in Germany — not Africa — for now because of reservations on that continent over its creation, a spokesman for the command said Tuesday.
The United States is planning to establish permanent military bases in sub-Saharan Africa which is set to launch by September 2008. President Bush says “Africom will not only improve security, but will also promote development, health, education, democracy and economic growth in the continent… It will also provide a stable environment in Africa.”

But concerning that claims, the experts like Danny Glover and Nicole C. Lee say that “the US militarization of Africa is further rationalized by Bush's mentioned claims about Africom. They state “Bush Administration fails to mention that securing and controlling African wealth and natural resources is key to US trade interests which face growing competition from China. Instead of military strategies, African countries need immediate debt cancellation, fair trade policies and increased development assistance that respects indigenous approaches to build sustainable communities. Civil wars, genocide and terrorist threats can and must be confronted by a well-equipped African Union military command.” That is also what most African countries suggest; instead of an American controlled military command, a fully African military force would serve better to the continent’s interests.

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