Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire
  • omnibus

Why We Focus on Africa
Black Alliance For Peace
30 Sep 2020
Why We Focus on Africa
Why We Focus on Africa

Africa can’t demonstrate independence and power because the entire continent has a giant U.S. military boot on its neck.

“The presence of U.S. forces exacerbates violence and instability throughout the continent.”

With reports each week of yet another Black victim of police violence, there is for many an ever-growing desperation. As activists search for a way forward, Africa’s plight does not find its way on to the movement agenda. But there is good reason to be concerned about what goes on in Africa. The problems there and the problems here are related.

Africa has long been the focus of foreign exploitation of the continent’s land, resources, and people. As everyone knows, Africans find themselves in the Western Hemisphere because of slavery and its exploitation of the labor of those who were enslaved. But the interest in Africa of those foreign to that continent was not limited to human trafficking. There was an even greater interest in Africa’s gold, diamonds, cobalt, oil, and other natural resources too numerous to list. 

Because Africa was colonized by western capitalist interests and robbed of its wealth, Africans resisted and drove the colonizers from the continent, or so they thought. In the years since independence came to Africa, it has become painfully clear that European colonizers have managed to retain their grip on the continent by various means, including the manipulation of corrupt African public officials.

“Africans resisted and drove the colonizers from the continent — or so they thought.”

The United States always had its hand in the exploitation of Africa, but it has never been widely regarded as a colonizer. The U.S. likes it that way because it is helpful to its global image as a benevolent justice-loving democratic nation. However, under cover of darkness the U.S. has played a leading role in maintaining an iron western grip on Africa.

Observers note that in 2019, U.S. Special Operations Forces were deployed in 22 African countries, and in recent years these troops engaged in active combat in at least 13. In addition to direct combat, U.S. military forces conduct joint training operations with the military forces of most of the countries on the African continent. These operations are carefully designed to serve U.S. interests. If the interests of the host African countries are also served, it is coincidental. All of this military activity is sponsored and coordinated by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).

The public statements made by AFRICOM about its work are crafted to portray the command as an armed Peace Corps that digs wells, delivers medicine, and builds hospitals while simultaneously protecting African villages from international terrorists. The reality is that the mission is to advance and protect the operations of western corporations. When it comes to that job the U.S. is eclipsed only by the French.

“The mission is to advance and protect the operations of western corporations.”

France has maintained an active and aggressive military presence in Africa for years, and the U.S. has been an enthusiastic supporter. AFRICOM makes no secret of this fact. Its commander said, “France is the United States’ oldest ally, and a leader in the counterterrorism fight in Africa. We share common threats, mutual concerns, and a commitment to fighting violent extremist organizations.” That comment translated means the U.S. teams with France to protect western corporate interests and brands anyone who gets in their way a terrorist. This can sometimes have fatal consequences.

In 2017 four U.S. soldiers were killed in Niger. The reason for their presence in that country was not clearly explained by the Pentagon, but it is likely that their mission was related to the fact that for decades the French company Areva has mined uranium in Niger for French consumption and established extensive operations in the Nigerien town of Arlit. In 2013 France began to fear attacks on these facilities, and they deployed troops to protect them. The U.S. had troops in the region too, probably to assist the French. Four soldiers paid the price with their lives.

Libya too was the site of French and U.S. military meddling that ultimately plunged the country into total violent chaos. The objective was to frustrate the late Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi’s efforts to establish a Pan-African currency (that would devalue the French franc); and, to gain control of Libya’s oil fields. 

“The U.S. teams with France to protect western corporate interests.”

Western domination of Africa’s wealth by military force hurts Africa, but it also hurts African people in the U.S. Although many harbor stale beliefs that the people of Africa care nothing about their stolen African family members in the United States, the contrary was proven dramatically by Africa’s outpouring of support and solidarity in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder. Imagine the changes that would have occurred if those demonstrations of support had been accompanied by financial support to the movement, diplomatic arm-twisting and economic pressure. Africa cannot demonstrate that type of independence and power because the entire continent has a giant U.S. military boot on its neck. It falls to those of us who are up-close and personal to AFRICOM to untie the laces of that boot and cause the U.S. military operations in Africa to trip and crash.

This is what we intent to with the International Day of Action on AFRICOM and our ongoing campaign to shut down AFRICOM. 

The International Day of Action on AFRICOM (October 1, 2020) aims to raise the public's awareness about the U.S. military's existence in Africa, and how the presence of U.S. forces exacerbates violence and instability throughout the continent. We are calling on our friends to endorse this day as an individual or organization and to organize an educational event, for which we have provided materials on our webpage: https://www.blackallianceforpeace.com/DayOfActionOnAFRICOM

The Black Alliance for Peace is a people(s)-centered human rights project against war, repression and imperialism.

COMMENTS?

Please join the conversation on Black Agenda Report's Facebook page at http://facebook.com/blackagendareport

Or, you can comment by emailing us at [email protected]  

AFRICOM

Do you need and appreciate Black Agenda Report articles. Please click on the DONATE icon, and help us out, if you can.


Related Stories

Why Does the United States Have a Military Base in Ghana?
Vijay Prashad
Why Does the United States Have a Military Base in Ghana?
22 June 2022
Why would the government of Ghana allow a U.S. military base on its territory?
AFRICOM Watch Bulletin #40
Black Alliance For Peace
AFRICOM Watch Bulletin #40
15 June 2022
The latest Black Alliance for Peace AFRICOM Watch Bul
The Rise of NATO in Africa
Vijay Prashad
The Rise of NATO in Africa
31 May 2022
NATO is not the defensive alliance of north Atlantic nations that it claims to be.
Pan-Africanism Yes! U.S. AFRICOM and NATO No!
Abayomi Azikiwe
Pan-Africanism Yes! U.S. AFRICOM and NATO No!
31 May 2022
Pan-African solidarity and the struggle against imperialism are key in advancing the condition of African states and peoples.
The Sun Never Sets: Why Is AFRICOM Expanding in Zambia?
Jeremy Kuzmarov
The Sun Never Sets: Why Is AFRICOM Expanding in Zambia?
17 May 2022
Why Is AFRICOM Expanding in Zambia? Because of Zambia’s Copper and to Thwart the Chinese.
AFRICOM Watch Bulletin #39
US Out of Africa Network
AFRICOM Watch Bulletin #39
19 April 2022
The latest AFRICOM Watch Bulletin provides analysis of coups in
U.S. Airstrike Killed 11 Libyan Civilians and Allies, Human Rights Groups Say
Nick Turse
U.S. Airstrike Killed 11 Libyan Civilians and Allies, Human Rights Groups Say
05 April 2022
A criminal complaint accuses a former commander at a U.S. airbase in Sicily of murder. But U.S.
AFRICOM Watch Bulletin #38
Black Alliance For Peace
AFRICOM Watch Bulletin #38
23 March 2022
Black Alliance for Peace reports on its US Out of Africa: Shut Down AFRICOM campaign in the
NATO and Africa: A Relationship of Colonial Violence and Structural White Supremacy
Djibo Sobukwe
NATO and Africa: A Relationship of Colonial Violence and Structural White Supremacy
23 February 2022
NATO is the means of continuing colonial aggressions against African countries.
MLK Day at Camp Lemonnier, US Army
T.J. Coles
Using and Abusing Djibouti: How the US Transformed a Tiny African state Into a Hub of Imperial Aggression
04 January 2022
From Djibouti, the US trains proxies and bombs strategically-important countries in the name of democracy and counterterrorism.

More Stories


  • Black Agenda Radio July 1, 2022
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Black Agenda Radio July 1, 2022
    01 Jul 2022
    Reproductive justice in the wake of SCOTUS overturning Roe v. Wade, campaign to free Mumia Abu Jamal, and Frederick Douglass speech "What to the Slave is the 4th of July" read by Ossie Davis.
  • Reproductive Justice
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Reproductive Justice
    01 Jul 2022
    We discuss reproductive justice in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling which overturned the Roe v. Wade decision. Loretta Ross is co- author of the book Reproductive Justice, and co-founder of…
  • Campaign to Bring Mumia Home
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Campaign to Bring Mumia Home
    01 Jul 2022
    Gwen Debrow of the Campaign to Free Mumia joins to tell us what we can do to go all out for Mumia during the July 3rd nationwide actions.
  • "What to the Slave is the 4th of July?" read by Ossie Davis
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    "What to the Slave is the 4th of July?" read by Ossie Davis
    01 Jul 2022
    On July 5, 1852 Frederick Douglass was asked to speak on the topic of the nation’s independence celebration. Now known as What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?, the speech was a stinging…
  • Democrats Exposed By the End of Roe v. Wade
    Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    Democrats Exposed By the End of Roe v. Wade
    29 Jun 2022
    The full extent of Democratic Party treachery was exposed when the Roe v. Wade decision was overturned. Only right wing Americans have any expectation of getting what they want from the electoral…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us