After losing access to part of the Sahel, the US courts Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Benin for bases

Marine Corps General Michael Langley. (@AfricaMediaHub/X formerly Twitter)

After its departure from Chad and Niger, the US Africom looks to Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Benin.The US said its military engagements on the continent were African-led and US-enabled.The US claims it wont force countries to choose between the country and its geopolitical rivals.

After withdrawing from Chad and Niger, as the Sahel region pivoted towards Russia, the United States is negotiating with Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Benin to set up military bases.

America is seeking partnerships with “like-minded countries with democratic values and shared objectives and shared challenges across coastal West Africa,” said Marine Corps General Michael Langley, who commands the US Africa Command known as Africom, this week. 

Langley toured that region trying to establish what the US describes as African-led and US-enabled relationships aimed at fighting extremists that threaten everyone.

“I went on a campaign of learning and a listening tour to see how we can partner with them to address these shared challenges, because all these constructs, all these violent extremist organisations do have aspirations of attacking the US homeland as well. “So going there and listening as the way forward to address these challenges and to defeat terrorism across their borders was essential,” he said.

In 2018, the US built Air Base 201 in the desert city of Agadez in Niger for about R1.9 billion, from which it could launch both manned and unmanned surveillance flights. It gave that base up this month.

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The US also withdrew Special Operations Task Force personnel stationed at a French army base in Chad’s capital, N’Djamena.

The withdrawals dealt a heavy blow to the US’s fight against the likes of Al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS) in the Sahel region.

Since the 11 September 2001 attack on the Twin Towers, the US war on terrorism has had a strong mandate.

The US is seeking the ability to respond to crisis, said Langley, and it has “some contingency locations” on the continent.

Where the US has lost ground within Africa, China and Russia have stepped forward, but the US does not force countries to choose between the geopolitical rivals, Langley said.

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“When we have engaged with our African partners, we don’t give them an ultimatum of who to choose for a security partner. 

“We have a value proposition going forward, but also, we want a complete understanding – and we want our partners to have a complete understanding – of our initiatives and how we can work together to achieve shared objectives,” he said.

Langley said Russia has been running a disinformation campaign against Africom.

“The Russian Federation had activities in the information space to be able to effect false-type ideologies in civil society as far as the clear intent of what Africom was trying to do to fight terrorism,” he said.

He singled out Central African Republic (CAR) as a place where Russia has demonstrated its capabilities.

The News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The stories produced through the Africa Desk and the opinions and statements that may be contained herein do not reflect those of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.

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