U.S. Militarization of Africa and Africom

[RBG Street Scholar]

Actor and Activist Danny Glover & TransAfrica Forum's Nicole Lee on the U.S. Militarization of Africa and Africom

Thursday, November 8th, 2007
http://www.democracynow.org/article..../11/08/1450204

"With little scrutiny from Democrats in Congress and nary a whimper of protest from the liberal establishment, the United States will soon establish permanent military bases in sub-Saharan Africa," write Glover and Lee in The Nation. "An alarming step forward in the militarization of the African continent, the US Africa Command (Africom) will oversee all US military and security interests throughout the region, excluding Egypt."

West African military chiefs added their voices Tuesday to a growing number of critics of a new US military command called Africom. Africom was established by the Department of Defense in October and covers every country in Africa except for Egypt. It is expected to be fully operational within a year. But it's already generating controversy and skepticism.

Several African countries, including South Africa, Nigeria, and Libya, are opposed to Africom, and late Tuesday, West African military chiefs denounced the US approach to the project.

Africom officials claim the project will strengthen humanitarian and peacekeeping operations and is not about building more US bases. But critics allege that it's a move to secure US access to natural resources and counter the growing Chinese presence across the continent. African nations supply the United States with more than 24 percent of its oil, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

Actor, activist and TransAfrica Forum board chair Danny Glover and TransAfrica Forum executive director Nicole Lee wrote about Africom in the latest issue of The Nation magazine. Their article is called "Say No to Africom."

* Nicole Lee, Executive Director, TransAfrica Forum

* Danny Glover, actor and activist, board chair, TransAfrica Forum

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Also see: The Nation magazine. "Say No to Africom."

Source: www.democracynow.org