Pentagon and EU are deploying troops

By Abayomi Azikiwe
Editor, Pan-African News Wire

Note: This paper was presented in part at the Left Forum held at John
Jay College of the City University of New York (CUNY) during May
30-June 1, 2014. It was a contribution to a panel organized by the
United National Anti-War Coalition (UNAC) entitled ?The New Face of
U.S. Imperialist War.? In addition to Abayomi Azikiwe, the panel
featured Marilyn Levin of the UNAC administrative committee as chair,
Bernadette Elorin of BAYAN, USA, William Camacaro of the Bolivarian
Circle, Jeff Mackler of the UNAC administrative committee and Sara
Flounders, Co-Director of the International Action Center.

Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of the militarist policies of the
United States and the European Union (EU) is the growing intervention
of these former colonial and currently neo-colonial states in the
internal affairs of the African continent. Since 2008 both the U.S.
and EU member countries have been heavily involved in the region under
the guise of fighting a so-called ?war on terrorism.?

According to the narrative advanced by the ruling elites in the
imperialist states, Africa is a major source of ?international
terrorism? and that if the West does not intervene to monitor and
track down these elements they will eventually attack the U.S. as was
done on September 11, 2001. These same arguments were also put forward
in the beginning of the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and the
lead up to the intervention in Iraq.

With specific reference to the war against Afghanistan, the U.S. and
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces have been
occupying this Central Asian country directly for nearly thirteen
years. Moreover, if we examine the origins of the war in Afghanistan
it can be traced back at least until 1979 when Soviet troops entered
the country to defend the socialist government that had come to power
the previous year.

The Al-Qaeda network was actually encouraged and facilitated by the
U.S. beginning under the Carter administration in 1979-80 and
thereafter by two successive Reagan terms (1981-89) and eventually the
one-term rule of George H.W. Bush between (1989-1993). It was the
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Pentagon that provided
training, weapons, funds and diplomatic cover to the ?Mujahideen? in
Afghanistan to counter the influence of the People?s Democratic Party
(PDP) of Afghanistan.

After the collapse of the Comecon sector and the Soviet Union between
the late 1980s and 1991, the much-touted ?end of the cold war? was
actually a myth. There was of course new enemies for imperialism to
target, challenge and defeat.

In 1990-1991 there was the massive military build-up in the Persian
Gulf in response to the Iraqi annexation of the Kuwait monarchy. The
massive aerial bombardment and ground invasion of 1991 lead to an
ongoing series of military operations against this Middle Eastern
state.

The utilization of sanctions, the continued presence of Pentagon
warships and fighter aircraft lead to the deaths of hundreds of
thousands of Iraqis. Twelve years after the first Gulf War, the George
W. Bush administration after occupying Afghanistan, then went into
Iraq despite massive public opposition inside the U.S. and around the
world.

Even though the allegations that were made by the Bush administration
suggesting a direct link and even alliance between Al-Qaeda and the
Arab Baath Socialist Party (ABSP) government in Baghdad was absolutely
absurd, there was still a concerted attempt to sell this to the
public. This false linkage served as an underpinning for the fake
?weapons of mass destruction? fabrications that were promoted not only
by the Bush administration but picked up and publicized by the
corporate media including the New York Times and the-then
?pre-liberal? MSNBC television network.

A review of these arguments enunciated by the ruling class to justify
war in the Middle East and Central Asia are strikingly similar to what
is being said about the current situation in Africa. One major
exception however is the greater utilization of national and regional
governmental troops as surrogates in the imperialist interventions.

Nigeria and the Central African Republic: Islam and Regional Security

Over the last several weeks events in the West African state of
Nigeria, Africa?s most populous, has drawn the attention of people
throughout the world. The abductions of over 270 female high school
students in the village of Chibok in Borno State in the northeast of
the country even prompted the intervention of First Lady Michelle
Obama.

Nonetheless, the war between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Boko
Haram has been raging for nearly five years when the military and
police stormed the headquarters of the sect and killed its founder
Mohammed Yusef and dozens of his followers in 2009. Since that time
period, the tactics of Boko Haram have become more deadly every year.

In 2011, the organization was said to have been behind the bombing of
the United Nations headquarters in the political capital of Abuja.
Christian churches have been bombed in the northern and central
regions of the country, security personnel are being murdered more
frequently and improvised explosive devices are being planted even in
Abuja that have resulted in the deaths of dozens of people over the
last few months.

The character of corporate media coverage of the Nigerian crisis
conceals the strategic alliance between this country and the U.S.
ruling class. Nigeria is the largest exporter of oil from Africa into
the U.S.

Recent announcements have been made that the re-basing of key indices
by western financial publications and institutions has resulted in
Nigeria being designated as the leading economy on the continent. ?At
the same time as the country is being championed for its tremendous
investment-led economic growth, both France and the U.S. are moving
its intelligence and military apparatuses into the country to battle
the Boko Haram insurgency.

Earlier in the year when the Nigerian government was commemorating the
centenary of the consolidation of British colonial rule over the
country in 1914, the French President Francois Hollande attended the
events surrounding the 100-year anniversary. Hollande pledged to
assist Nigeria in the so-called ?fight against terrorism? and then
traveled to the Central African Republic, a former French colony now
undergoing the greatest internal security crisis during the
post-colonial period of its history.

The CAR is also a country that contains strategic resources that are
of interests to multi-national mining corporations from both Western
Europe and North America. A rebel coalition led by elements within the
minority Muslim population took control of the country in March 2013
and held it until January 2014, when the government of interim
President Michel Djotodia was forced to resign largely at the aegis of
Paris.

Once the Seleka Coalition was forced from power after a regional
conference held in neighboring Chad, a Christian-based anti-Balaka
militia group went into action attacking Muslim-owned businesses,
mosques and neighborhoods. By April tens of thousands of Muslims had
been forced to leave the CAR for what was perceived to be safer areas
in neighboring Chad and Cameroon, both of which have a history of
French colonialism.

France has sent at least 2,000 troops into the CAR. This occupation is
being supported and facilitated by the Pentagon which flew in troops
and equipment during the initial stages of the intervention. Special
Forces have been operating in the CAR at least since late 2011 when
the Obama administration deployed military personnel in pursuit of
Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord?s Resistance Army (LRA) that was
founded in the East Africa state of Uganda over two decades ago.

The imposition of another Christian-based government in the CAR under
interim President Catherine Samba-Panza has not created the conditions
for normalization. Although hundreds of thousands of Muslims have been
forced into internally displaced camps and exile, at present a
resurgent Muslim resistance movement has surfaced.

In addition to the enhanced intervention of France and the U.S., the
EU forces (EUFOR) have also entered the country in the aftermath of an
EU-Africa summit held in April in Brussels. This summit generated
tremendous controversy since it deliberately bypassed the African
Union (AU) and extended or denied invitations to individual states and
leaders in direct contravention to the AU Peace and Security Council
(PSC).

Troops from several African states are operating as well inside the
CAR. The African troop presence is mandated by both the regional
Economic Community of Central African States (CEMAC) as well as the UN
Security Council.

Moreover, the United Nations Security Council several months ago
approved the deployment of some 12,000 foreign troops into the CAR.
Their mandate appears to be designed as a peacekeeping force which is
allowed to engage in military operations ostensibly geared toward
stabilizing the troubled state.

If these various foreign military forces are added up they will
constitute an occupying presence of at least 20,000 troops. The degree
of U.S. presence in the CAR cannot be fully determined in light of the
role of Special Forces and air force units that are providing
logistical and intelligence support for the French-EU-CEMAC-UN
deployment.

South Sudan: Partition and Deepening Civil War

We want to look at the current situation in the Republic of South
Sudan, Africa and the world?s youngest state. The new country came out
of the break-up of the Republic of Sudan, a former British colony
which prior to the division, represented the continent?s largest
geographic nation-state.

The problems of Sudan stemmed from the legacy of indirect colonial
rule under Britain as was the case as well in the Federal Republic of
Nigeria. Like Nigeria as well, the Sudans have substantial oil
reserves that are coveted by the West.

Washington and its allies were quite concerned that they were not able
to totally dictate Sudanese foreign and domestic policy. Khartoum is a
strong supporter of the Palestinian national liberation struggle and
maintains close ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The oil industry in Sudan prior to the partition had excluded the U.S.
and Britain from the exploitation of this vital resource. Oil
concessions in the Republic of Sudan were largely controlled by the
People?s Republic of China and various Middle Eastern states. Sudan
was emerging as a major oil producing state with 500,000 barrels being
generated daily.

Now with the partition and the consequent unresolved political issues
involving demarcations and terms of relations in regard to the oil
industry, both Sudans are facing mounting economic problems.
Washington has not concealed its desire to topple the government of
President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and is a major proponent, along with
the State of Israel, of the Darfur rebel movements who are seeking to
divide the western region of the country from Khartoum.

The fighting in South Sudan has spread since?December 15?when an
internal power struggle between President Salva Kiir and ousted
Vice-President Riek Machar erupted. The conflict has resulted in the
deaths of thousands and the displacement of many more.

An East African Response Force established by the Pentagon through the
United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) intervened in South Sudan
during the early days of the recent fighting. Special Forces have been
in South Sudan as well since late 2011 on the same purported mission
as those operating in the CAR as that is to capture LRA leaders.

State Department involvement in the negotiations for a cessation of
hostilities agreement prompted exchanges between the government of
President Kiir and their benefactors in Washington. ?The U.S. has much
at stake in overseeing the stabilization of South Sudan since it
played such a critical role in the country?s creation.

One major point of disagreement between Washington and Juba is the
presence and role of thousands of Ugandan troops in South Sudan at the
invitation of the Kiir government. Uganda has served as a military
ground force in the foreign policy imperatives of U.S. imperialism.

However, the Obama administration wants to be the main arbiter of how
both the SPLM/A and UPDF are utilized in the region. An extended civil
war is not necessarily the outcome of what Washington sought in the
partition of Sudan. The exploitation of oil which the western-based
corporations now are poised to reap greater benefits is the preferred
option for imperialism.

What Role for the U.S. Anti-War Movement?

The United National Anti-War Coalition (UNAC) has been engaged in
analyzing and opposing these military interventions in Africa. When
the U.S. and NATO were bombing Libya during 2011, UNAC called for an
end to this war as part of the demands raised in the anti-war
demonstration held in New York City in April of that year.

When NATO convened its summit in Chicago during May 2012, UNAC
included demands related to the role of AFRICOM which the alliance
denounced at its founding conference in Albany held in July-Aug. 2010.
Also the French intervention in Mali was the subject of a national
educational conference call in early 2013.

At last year?s Left Forum, ?The War on Africa? panel attracted
substantial participation. UNAC?s positions on imperialist
interventions on the continent has distinguished it from other peace
groups which appear to be hesitant and even confused on how to respond
to the changing character of imperialist war.

UNAC must continue these efforts through its upcoming national
conference. The organization must be prepared to intervene through
additional educational meetings, mass demonstrations and even direct
action against drone production taking place inside this country.
Drones stations are being constructed all over Africa from Somalia and
Djibouti in the east to Niger in the West.

Until the increased militarization of Africa is effectively challenged
there can be no genuine peace, independence, sovereignty or
development on the continent. Our contributions to exposing and ending
this accelerated pace of U.S. and European imperialist interference in
the internal affairs of Africa will be a major source of solidarity
between the peoples of this hemisphere and those on the continent.