If you go on Google and type “how many African countries have military bases in any of the Western countries, ” you would be surprised to know that instead of giving you answers such as 5 African countries or 6 African countries, Google search results would show you Western countries that have military bases in Africa. For decades, the continent of Africa has been swarming with hordes of foreign military personnel, with more than a dozen countries known to have deployments and bases on the continent. In fact, according to a 2019 report by the Institute of Security Studies in South Africa, there are at least 13 countries that have a military presence in Africa, with about 11 foreign military bases situated in the Horn of Africa. These Western countries include the USA, France, the UK, Germany and even India. Yet, there is no single African country that has any military base outside the continent. The question is why do so many foreign countries have military bases in Africa and why does Africa allow it? Are these foreign military bases in the interest of Africa or is there a deeper motivation? Let’s find out.

Of the 13 foreign countries that have military bases in Africa, the USA and France own the largest number of bases and troops in the continent, although, in recent times, France’s numbers have drastically reduced following its withdrawal from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Currently, the US has 7,000 military personnel on rotational deployment in Africa. These troops carry out joint operations with African forces against extremists or jihadists. They are hosted in military outposts across the continent, including Uganda, South Sudan, Senegal, Niger, Gabon, Cameroon, Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In addition, 2,000 American soldiers are involved in training missions in 40 African countries. American special forces operate across east Africa in so-called forward operation locations in Kenya and Somalia. Interestingly, the Media used to publish that the USA only has one permanent camp in Africa located in Djibouti, known as Camp Lemonnier but a 2019 document that was recently leaked, revealed that the US has a total of 29 bases located in 15 different countries in Africa. Imagine that. What possible reason would the US need 29 bases in Africa? We will come to that shortly.

Like the US, France has either deployed military forces or established bases in a number of African countries. The country had more than 7,500 military personnel serving on the continent until its forces were kicked out of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger following the coups that occurred in those countries. The presence of foreign military forces in Africa is, however, not limited to Western powers. China has been particularly active with its military presence in the Horn of Africa. It has become more engaged since 2008 when it participated in the multinational anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden. Since then China has maintained an anti-piracy naval presence in the Horn of Africa and Gulf of Aden. Between 2008 and 2018, the Chinese Navy deployed 26,000 military personnel in a variety of maritime security operations. In 2017, China inaugurated its first overseas military base in Djibouti. This came after the US established Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti in 2003.

India is also another Asian nation that has increased its naval presence in Africa. The country has established a network of military facilities across the Indian Ocean to counter China’s rising military footprint in the region. When it comes to the Middle East, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are the two countries with a notable military presence in Africa. In 2017, Turkey opened a military base in Mogadishu, Somalia while the UAE has had a military base in Eritrea since 2015.

Now, why are there so many foreign military bases in Africa?

First, for Resource Exploitation. Africa is the world’s second-largest continent in terms of land mass and population with a large range of important natural resources. The container alone holds 30% of all mineral reserves, 12% of known oil reserves, 8% of known natural gas, and 65% of the world’s arable land. However, the power of Western Multinational corporations and the lack of sufficient industrialization in most African countries has left the continent in a state of dependency on foreign countries. This condition of dependency was structured by the policies of the colonial rulers, who maintained economic activity in Africa based on the extraction and growth of raw materials and then passed on to generations of post-colonial elites, who did nothing to change the structure.

This state of continued economic dependency has created avenues for manipulation by these foreign governments who have a permanent interest in Africa. That’s why for instance, in return for land where a military base will be constructed, Foreign countries such as the USA or the UK would offer aid to a particular African country where they desire to set up a base. In addition, the economic situation of countries in Africa has led to conflict issues which have also given countries like the USA and France to set up military bases with the excuse that they are trying to settle conflicts. In reality, however, facts have shown that these countries set up their military bases close to where there are mineral resources in Africa.

Take, for instance, the US military lily pad base in São Tomé and Príncipe in the Gulf of Guinea. When asked, the US would say that the reason for this military base in the Gulf of Guinea is to reduce the growth of Islamic militancy, particularly ISIS and al-Qaeda. But then the governments of these African countries agree that these groups do not have a threatening presence there. So why then does the US have a military base there? It’s simply to protect the movement of Nigerian and Gulf of Guinea oil to the US. Another instance that justifies that foreign military bases are for the exploitation of African resources is what happened in 2007. During this year, about 1.7 billion barrels of oil were discovered at the border of Congo and Uganda in the Lake Albert region. And guess what happened next? This region became immediately militarized by the US army.

The second reason for foreign military bases in Africa is to stop the migration of Africans to European and Western countries. The IMF and World Bank driven austerity programmes and the failure of African states to manage resource sales in a way that provides decent lives for the population have resulted in large-scale migration across the continent. To stop this large-scale migration and keep migrants as far as possible from their borders, Western countries set up their military bases in Africa, most especially in the Sahel region. And guess what? France claims that they set up the G5 Sahel Initiative to help fight the terrorism crisis spreading across the region but the truth is stopping the migration of Africans to their country is one of the major reasons why France assembled the G5 Sahel Initiative and also why the US built the large drone base in Agadez, which provides important aerial surveillance of migration in the region. Imagine the hypocrisy. The West wants African resources but they do not want the African people.

The third reason for foreign military bases according to Lesiba Teffo, a political analyst, is in case of war. According to Lesiba “Superpowers compete to at least have their deployments at strategic positions so that should the need arise to go all out in any form of warfare, they will have access to resources and ammunition,” This means if America decides to invade any African country, it would be very easy for them to do so. This is the reason for the Russia and Ukraine war. NATO wants to deploy its armaments in Ukraine so they can have the closest access should the need arise to attack Russia, but Russia did not allow it. It’s truly baffling that African leaders allow Foreign countries to set up military bases despite the risk. If it has any benefit, why doesn’t the US have any foreign military base on its soil?

This brings us to the point that the reason why all these foreign countries can easily set up military bases in Africa is because of Africa’s weak government and weak institutions such as the African Union. The President of Djibouti is a perfect example of an African leader who has allowed different foreign countries including the US, France, and China to set up military bases in the country for some benefits. These benefits include the least on the land which is worth billions of dollars where the base will be set up and also protection against opposition forces. Ghana is also another example. In 2018, the US Department of Defense proposed that the US and Ghana agree to a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), a $20 million deal that would allow the US military to expand its presence in Ghana.

This proposal however was met with disapproval by the population and the opposition party which believed that this agreement would mean that there was a possibility that the US would build a military base in the country. And so, by April of the same year, the president of Ghana, claimed that his government had ‘not offered a military base, and will not offer a military base to the United States of America’. However, in May 2018, the SOFA agreement was signed, and from what can be observed from the binding document, the US is permitted to create its own military facilities in Ghana. By any definition, this means that it can set up a base.

In recent times there have been growing concerns about the increasing number of bases in the African continent but sadly that’s where it ends. No action has been taken to stop these foreign countries from hosting their military base, something they would never allow African countries to do. It’s obvious that these countries see the African continent as a weak child who would accept anything that us ditched out to them. The African Union is not even helping matters. The fact that they depend on 98 percent of their funding from external partners such as the European Union limits their ability to stop the setting up of military bases by foreign countries.

No true independent nation will willingly allow another country to set up a military base on its soil. From the time Western countries started setting up their bases on African soil, there have been calls by some African leaders to remove those bases because those foreign bases are a deviation from the anti-imperialist ideals of the struggles that brought independence to Africa. In 1964, Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser called for the removal of these bases, and in 1970 – after Colonel Muammar Gaddafi overthrew the monarchy – the bases were removed. In most recent times, some African leaders have also called for the removal of these bases.

Speaking on the presence of the US military base in Botswana and the launch of a US Africa Command (AFRICOM) office in Zambia, Arcelio Sitoe of Mozambique told CAJ News Africa, that “I’m sure Botswana and Zambia’s founding fathers of the armed liberation struggle against colonialism might be turning from their graves against current leaders shepherding these two countries,” I think that the two presidents of Botswana and Zambia must prove they are not against the ethos, principles, values, and sentiments of what initially caused our forefathers to go to war of liberation against these same evil forces they are now inviting to set military bases in their respective countries, otherwise, chances are high these two countries may sooner or later be labeled sellouts by future generations to come”, he added

The leader of South Africa, EFF, Julius Malema also commented on the US military base in Botswana. He argued that the presence of the base in Botswana is a threat to not just South Africa but also the entire South African region. Malema then called for the removal of the base.

Now that there seems to be an awakening across Africa, it’s time for Africa to look into the issue of foreign military bases in the continent and do something about it. These bases do not serve the interest of the continent and they threaten the sovereignty of African countries therefore they are not needed. It’s high time for all foreign military bases, most especially that of the US, to be removed and dismantled. All the foreign military forces in the continent should be sent packing the same way French forces were sent packing. These countries may claim that they are trying to help contain the security issues in Africa but since they have been on the continent nothing has changed. Instead, the security crisis has worsened and so they have no legitimate reason to be on the continent. It’s time to send them packing and let Africa deal with its problem by itself.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comment section below. If you are new to our channel didn’t forget to subscribe, kike, and share this video.