The US military has decided to keep the headquarters of its new Africa Command in Germany, after only one African nation, Liberia, offered to host it.
Most African countries have been wary of plans to base the command, Africom, on the continent.
Africom’s commander, Gen William Ward, said there were no plans to create large US garrisons on the continent.
The military command was created last year to unite responsibilities shared by three other US regional commands.
The US plan had been misunderstood by some African countries, Gen Ward told the BBC.
The key aim of Africom was to build the capacity of African countries for security and peacekeeping, he said.
African doubts
Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua announced in November that he would not allow his country to host an Africom base and that he was also opposed to any such bases in West Africa.
South Africa and Libya have also voiced strong reservations.
Only Liberia, which has historic links to the US, has offered to host it.
There has been concern that Africom is really an attempt to protect US oil and mineral interests in Africa, amid growing competition for resources from Asian economies, says the BBC’s Alex Last in the Nigerian capital Abuja.
Then there are fears about the continent being drawn into the US war on terror, our correspondent ads.
Gen Ward said Africom was not about militarisation but consolidating existing operations under one single command, while helping Africans with military training and supporting peacekeeping and aid operations.
9 thoughts on “U.S. drops Africa military HQ plan”
Bad news for Weyanne!! Meles was begging to host U.S at the cost of African Nations. shame for Meles. He is not worthy to serve U.S interest in Africa. U.S learned form Meles’s involvement in somalia, besides If the head quarter is to be in Tana lake, it could not accommadate U.S warships:-)
This is definatly a bad news for weyane who was salivating to host the very unpolpular military strategy of the US. Most African countries refused to host, but the shamless weyane was up front to do anything in exchange for money. Another blow to weyane, it is rejected again. They were mad that Bush didn’t visit them even if they invaded Somalia to make him happy. I don’t blame Bush for not wanting to be seen with weyane leaders who are responsible for massacres both in Ethiopia and Somalia.
Thank God
Africans are at least brave enough to reject US plan to litter Africa with US military garrisons. However we will not be fooled, there is US hidden army in Africa already. We pray one day true son and daughters of Africa will get rid of these hidden and open armies of the West that are implanted to dry africa of its natural resources. blood suckers. What Africa needs is democracy and technology to stand on its own two feet.
Could it be that most of those same African leaders are corrupted and that if they US military is present it would be hard for them to do what they like to do…. you know may be like may of 97. Just a thought!
Once they get there they will never leave. They have a military base in East Africa on their strategy on War on terror already. Even this may be forever. As they are losing the battle for domination and endless source of oil in the middle east, they are focusing on Africa. Lets not be fooled America goes anywhere to protect its interests nothing more nothing less.
Thank God the US administration made the right decision
A showy friendship!
Africans, at this particular time when they are free of all their colonizers, don’t need foreign protectors; what they need though is foreign investors.
Desperate in all economic fields, the United States sees the friendly economic activities the Asian countries, especially the Chinese, performing throughout the African Continent. To counter these economic activities by the Asian nations, United States wants to build an American military headquarter in the African soil in the name of protecting the “peace and the security” of the African people. For example, the recent visit of George W. Bush to Africa is clear evidence that the United States wants to maintain or curb the spread of the Asian economic influence by donating a few millions to some African countries.
Nevertheless one of the African leader, Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adura, courageously objected to the building of the United States military base in his country, and most of African leaders consented with him except one country – Liberia – presumably one of the 50 States of the United States because Liberia is more close to the United States than to the African States. Geographically, Liberia is in Africa, but historically, it is one of American States, and because of its close relation with the United States, it is not surprising to all of us Africans that Liberia has granted the United States to build its military base in the Liberian soil. All other African States, following the footsteps of the Nigerian leader, rejected the American request to build a military base in their soils and pushed it to go to Germany where it belongs.
It is ironic that the United States wants to keep the peace and the security of Africa; however, if it is interested in keeping the peace in Africa, where was it when the genocide took in Rwanda-Brundi between Hutu and Tutsi tribes, where was it when Meles Zenawi slaughtered hundreds of innocent civilians in 2005, and where was it when the ethnic conflict broke out in Kenya and over a thousand civilians lost their lives? Back to history, when Mussolini invaded Ethiopia, the United States did nothing to stop the fascist from invading Ethiopia; it was the British who helped us out and gave us our freedom.
The main reason why the United States wants to establish a military headquarter in the African soil is simply to ship out to America the African oil, the African precious stones, and the other African minerals. Even though it has failed to build its military base in Africa, it can still plunder the African resources through its close ally – Liberia, a country which is still oppressing the indigenous Liberian people.
Good Job Africans!
Africa does not need military training. It needs the US to investment on businesses without exploiting Africa and Africans.
US policy toward African people has not been great so far, here are my reasons:
The diplomats US has assigned to Ethiopia clueless who they stand for. They protectected the world’s bloodiest terrorist Meles Zenawi from popular uprisings so far. They got involved
agaist the people of Ethiopia and silenced them systematically crippling democracy. As their wreckless actions Terrorist regime of EPRDF IS GROOMED to throne by Jenydin Frazer and co et al. Ethiopians continue to suffer unprecedented loss of liberty, properties, many are rotting in concentration camps that eluded world medias. The departures of US BASE is great for freedom searching of East AFRICA.
I also wish United states stay neutral of East African politics for they have contributed huge burden of sufferings at the very butchers UNTED STATES TRAINED, EQUIPED AND FUNDED ONTO the entire Horn Of Africa. Somalia, Ogadenia, Kenya are the prime examples of its failures. Sad but these are all ongoing nightmares.