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Leadership (Abuja)

Nigeria: FG Rejects Military Ties With the U.S.

Danladi Ndayebo

3 October 2007

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The rosy relationship between Nigeria and the United States may be heading for the rocks, as the former has rejected the offer to be part of a new military arrangement proposed by the latter.

The new command, which was launched Monday in Germany, is christened Africa High Command (AFRICOM), and calls for the establishment of military bases in Africa.

American military planners have, however, been quick to point out that AFRICOM is not an expansion of military might into Africa but is rather a new Africa Command that will remain in Stuttgart, and with its own chain of command, and its own priorities are for building military ties with friendly African countries.

But the Nigerian government swiftly rejected such military incursion into Africa in unequivocal terms.

"No foreign troops are welcomed on African soil," minister of foreign affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, told The Times Of Nigeria in an interview in Washington, DC on Monday.

Surprisingly, Maduekwe said that Nigeria was yet to be officially briefed on AFRICOM by the US government.

"We have not received a formal document on what Africom is all about. We are still waiting for such a document. We do not have enough information on it yet. We have not been briefed," he said, adding, "We need a clearer articulation to what is Africa high command. What is it all about? We need better and more adequate information from the US government. The communication has not been adequate."

Responding to a question on Nigeria's official position on Africom, he said, "We cannot take a position on something we do not yet fully understand the substance. If as foreign minister I do not understand the aims and objectives of Africa High Command, then that speaks volumes."

"We can't be the fire department always," says Theresa Whelan, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defence for African affairs. "We don't have the capacity to constantly run around and solve this disaster and that disaster. Other people have to develop their own fire departments, but we can help them develop their own capacity."

Maduekwe said, "If the command is about stationing US troops on African soil, we feel there is no need for that. We feel it will be a derogation of the sovereignty of African states to station foreign troops on African soil." He added that foreign troops on African soil would be counter-productive to both the U.S. and Africa.

"It is counter-productive. We even believe that such stationing of combat troops on African soil at a time when Africa is not at war with anybody sends the wrong kind of message. It is counter-productive even to US interest. If there is one continent that is not hostile to the United States, by reason of its own understanding of its regional interest, it is Africa. We want to see the Command not in terms of US military bases in Africa because there is no need for that.

"I believe that what is being conceptualised is not U.S. marines with combat uniform and gears strolling on Victoria island or the bar beach. That is not our understanding of it. We believe those behind AFRICOM are much smarter than that."

So far, only the West African country of Liberia has welcomed AFRICOM, with President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf offering her country as a base. Others have described it as a threat. The 14-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) recently voted to reject it.

General William Ward, the man expected to be confirmed as the commander of AFRICOM, has his work cut out for him trying to convince African leaders of the need for his service and how it will benefit Africa.

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