Since 2020, the number of military interventions in African politics has accelerated. However, what is often overlooked is the role of western governments and their military institutions in the deliberate undermining of national and regional stability. The North African state of Libya is a prime example of the devastating impact of the Pentagon, the Central…
Under the cover of counterterrorism, AFRICOM is beefing up Nigeria’s military to ensure the free flow of oil to the West, and using the country as a proxy against China’s influence on the continent. Last month, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari wrote an op-ed in the Financial Times. It might as well have been written by…
This July, the Biden administration picked up where Trump left off and began bombing Somalia, a country with a gross domestic product of less than $6 billion and a poverty rate of 70 percent. But why? The official reason provided by the Pentagon was that the Somali National Army needed air support in its operations to counter al-Shabaab. But the actual reason was that…
In the aftermath of a second military coup within nine months in the West African state of Mali both the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) are calling for a speedy return to civilian rule. ECOWAS and the AU suspended the coup leaders from the regional organizations while France…
The core of historical Spanish-Moroccan tensions, which are now spilling over to affect the US’ AFRICOM exercises, is clearly the unresolved status of Western Sahara. The United States Africa Command’s (AFRICOM) upcoming African Lion exercises from 7-18 June are embroiled in controversy as a result of the Western Sahara conflict. Recent reports indicate that Spain…
Recently, in light of its ongoing confrontation with China, the United States has started seeking opportunities to expand its influence in Africa increasingly more actively. Just as other leading world players, Washington has shown interest in the continent because of its natural resources and strategic location, i.e. the main reasons why the US “battle over…
