In spite of the human rights abuses of the Nigerian military that have bedeviled U.S. military cooperation there, Secretary John Kerry and AFRICOM head Gen. David Rodriguez made a point to attend the May 29 inauguration of newly elected Nigerian … Continue reading
Archives
Amnesty International: Nigerian Military Abuses Rampant in War Against Boko Haram
From a new Amnesty International (AI) study, the New York Times, (6/3/2015) reports: “In the course of Nigeria’s war against the Boko Haram terrorist group, at least 7,000 people have died in government detention because of brutal conditions, an additional … Continue reading
Crowded Djibouti hosting militaries from four nations: Now a China base
Ironically, the only “permanent” US AFRICOM base on the continent – Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti – host to many Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force, and CIA operations is being joined by new bases from Japan and China. Djibouti, smaller … Continue reading
New – Tomorrow’s Battlefield: US Proxy Wars and Secret Ops in Africa (Nick Turse)
With the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) boasting a 25% expansion in FY 2014 to 674 operations in Africa, (2015 AFRICOM Posture Statement), Nick Turse’s new book, Tomorrow’s Battlefield: US Proxy Wars and Secret Ops in Africa (Haymarket, 2015,) is a … Continue reading
The roots of al-Shabab atrocities in Kenya: The long history of disruption in Somalia
Now al-Shabab has mounted a new traumatic massacre of 150 student innocents at Kenya’s Garissa University College on the heels of the the slaying of 67 at the Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi in 2013. Geographer Abdi Samatar at University … Continue reading
Dems in Congress oppose Obama’s draft Military Force Authorization, may affect Africa
Politico (2015-03-03) reports that “Key Democrats are hardening their opposition to President Barack Obama’s proposal for attacking Islamic militants in Iraq and Syria, raising fresh doubts the White House can win congressional approval of the plan as concerns grow over … Continue reading
Somali al-Shabaab continues attacks on Kenya and announces threat to shopping malls in the West
The Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahidin in Somalia—commonly known as al-Shabaab, the militant wing of the Somali Council of Islamic Courts, continues its attacks on Kenya, whose military continues its campaigns in Somalia against the movement as part of the African Union … Continue reading
Obama proposes largest DOD budget ever for 2016
The White House proposal requests $534 billion, the largest base budget ever for the DOD, and larger than any Reagan Administration military budget, with a more than seven percent increase over 2015. Requests include $10.6 billion alone for F-35 Fighter … Continue reading
The terrors of Boko Haram and the Nigerian militaries and their militias
On Tuesday, Sep 9th, PBS Frontline broadcast a terrifying documentary on the horrific torture and killings bythe Nigerian military and the militias they have created in response to the horrors of Boko Haram itself. The 30-minute documentary can be viewed … Continue reading
Violence or vaccines: Which path for U.S. in Africa?
In response to Obama’s U.S. Africa Summit in Washington this last week, Michael Shank (Reuters, 2014-08-06) comments on the growing focus of the U.S. on military security on the continent: “[AFRICOM] staged more than 546 military exercises on the continent … Continue reading