The Donald Trump's Election And The Issue Of Military Cooperation In Africa

A smooth transition is that Barack Obama, the US president, now wants Donald Trump after the election. The current occupant of the White House to receive his successor on Thursday to arrange the handover. Several files specific to Africa such as immigration, the economy, the environment, or even military cooperation.


Officially, the United States recognize only one military base in Africa in Djibouti, where 3,000 to 4,000 men are deployed. This is the starting point for operations against the Shebab in Somalia, or against pirates Gulf of Aden. Obviously, the American presence is much broader. AFRICOM is the name of the US command for Africa, has in fact a very narrow mesh, in 45 African countries, according to the State Department.

Sometimes it simple defense advisers and sometimes real outposts. This is the case in Kenya, Central African Republic, Uganda, but also in several countries in West Africa such as Senegal, Mali, Niger and Ghana. In summary, the US military is present almost everywhere in Africa with more or fewer resources, and significant capacity for deployment, if needed.

A recently reinforced presence

Under the Obama era, that presence has increased. Including Cameroon, where 300 soldiers were sent there a little over a year to fight against Boko Haram. The US military is officially limited to training missions and especially intelligence, Cameroon and the countries of the Lake Chad Basin. With drones, at least two in a Cameroonian security source, and in collaboration with the French force barkhane, the Force multinational joint intervention and, of course, the Cameroonian army.

After Donald Trump's election to the US Presidency, no official statement of the Cameroonian authorities. But a Department of Defense shows his confidence, "  they planned to ramp up  ," says the source, who cites the same project to build a maintenance base for aviation. He concluded: "  I do not think it will loosen, US interests in the region are higher than some internal policy requirements. They will not leave anytime soon.  "

In Senegal, with which the United States signed a military cooperation agreement there six months, we find no basis to speak of, but joint training and above all ways - unspecified - to respond very quickly, a terrorist attack, for example.

Niger, regional hub

Finally, there is also Niger, where the Pentagon confirmed, there is a little more than a month, the ongoing construction of an air base to deploy drones. It is located in Agadez, an estimated final cost at $ 100 million. It is the largest US military effort in West Africa and Niger makes a key regional hub for military operations of the United States.

In Niamey, on Diori Hamani airport, the base 101 French hosts US forces. Here, opacity prevails and Niamey place discreetly the red carpet in Washington. How many Americans to Niger? We do not know. A certainty, just as September 11, the invasion of northern Mali by jihadist groups is a turning point with including strengthening the monitoring device with Reaper drones.

Elected in 2008, Barack Obama apply "smart power" in French, the "subtle power". America turns the page of the brutality of the Bush administration. Trump Will Bush do? The candidate said he wants a total war against terrorism but criticized any intervention. Support for the Niger and the Sahel there will be maintained or even stronger?




Unable for now to know the consequences that Donald election will have on all device. No specific statement has been made on this subject, nor on the other hand, for now. Donald Trump's about isolationists can leave the fear, but it is not believed that a senior US diplomat Africa specialist, for which the US military should quickly remind the new president the strategic interests of his country.