Donald Trump has increased the number of U.S. drone attacks on the African continent since becoming president, removing the limited restrictions that had been in place during the Obama era. The result has been a ramping up of civilian casualties leading to an increase in resentment and hatred which fuels militant recruitment.
A study by the United Nations concluded that in “a majority of cases, state action appears to be the primary factor finally pushing individuals into violent extremism in Africa.” Of more than 500 former members of militant organizations interviewed for the report, 71 percent pointed to “government action,” including “killing of a family member or friend” or “arrest of a family member or friend” as the incident that prompted them to join a group. And the cycle continues: drone attacks breed recruitment, which produces further terror attacks, which leave the states involved more dependent on U.S. military support. This is how the West creates the demand for AFRICOM.
The policy of ‘targeted killings’ – an Obama policy ramped up under Trump – also increases the militancy of insurgent groups. If targeted killing remains a central strategy of the War on Terror”, it is set to be an endless war. But endless war is the whole point. War brings about destabilization, which allows the U.S. to exploit Africa’s mineral and human resources, land, and markets more effectively.
Some Germans Will Be Happy to See U.S. Troops Leave
By Emran Feroz – August 21, 2020
The AFRICOM headquarters in Stuttgart have made Germany complicit in the U.S. drone wars in Africa and elsewhere that have killed not just militants but many civilians.
France to continue its Barkhane military op in Mali after its president ousted by coup
By Elaine Ganley – August 20, 2020
The French armed forces will pursue military operations against Islamic fighters in France’s former colony Mali, despite the ousting of the president by a coup.
The Last Thing Libya Needs Is an Intensification of a U.S. Proxy War
By Gregory Shupak – August 18, 2020
The massive influx of weaponry, equipment and mercenaries to the two sides will intensify, broaden and deepen this war — with devastating consequences for the Libyan people.
The Trump Administration's Air Strikes in Somalia Are On the Rise Again—and Civilians Are Paying the Price
By Nick Turse – August 14, 2020
A new Pentagon report on payments for death, injury, and property damage in America’s wars shows that no assistance or compensation has been provided to Somali victims of U.S attacks.
‘Self-Fulfilling Policy’: U.S. Troops Chasing ‘Terrorism’ in 23 African Nations Actually Foster It
By Alan Mcleod – August 14, 2020
Deploying U.S. troops to combat terrorism tends to encourage asymmetric types of resistance like terrorism. The more you bomb, the more terrorists you get, which justifies more bombing.
Private U.S. Contractors Part of the ‘Kill Chain’ in East Africa Anti-Terrorist Operations
By Kira Zalan and Emmanuel Freudenthal – August 14, 2020
AFRICOM employs private contractors to carry out deadly drone strikes in Somalia through an Air Force program called Big Safari, which is vulnerable to corruption due to lack of oversight.
P.S. Join the U.S. Out of Africa Network to get the AFRICOM Watch Bulletin in your inbox.
Photo credit: US Army / Sgt. 1st Class Alexandra Hays