Africa: A Scramble for the Continent We May Not Gain From

opinion

Nairobi — Africa will soon be home to a larger American military presence than it has ever hosted, the better to deliver bombs and advice on good governance, some say.That is not news: It has been a couple of months since the White House announced plans to establish a separate US military command for Africa - Africom - ostensibly to provide better humanitarian interventions and help with the 'war on terror'. The command, expected to be up and running by September, 2008, will expect greater 'security cooperation' from African countries.

What is interesting is the flurry of opinions - seen as alarmist or prescient, depending on your political leanings - as to exactly what this means for the continent. The move comes at a time of unprecedented growth in American military spending. In two years' time, the US will be spending eight times as much as China does on its military, and more than 20 times as much as Russia.

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