No new US bases in Africa – Bush

President Bush said yesterday that talk of the United States building new military bases in Africa to expand its influence is “baloney.”

The US Defence Department created Africa Command last October to consolidate operations that had been split among three other regional commands, none of which had Africa as a primary focus. Several African countries, including Libya, Nigeria and South Africa, have expressed deep reservations, fearing the plan signals an unwanted expansion of American power on the continent or is a cover for protecting Africa’s vast oil resources on the United States’ behalf.Ghana’s President, John Kufuor, raised the issue with Bush during their meetings at Osu Castle, a centuries-old building that was once a hub of slave-trading and now is the seat of government.”You’re not going to build any bases,” he told Bush – according to Bush.”I know there’s rumours in Ghana ‘All Bush is coming to do is try to convince you to put a big military base here’,” Bush said at a news conference with Kufuor.”That’s baloney.As they say in Texas, that’s bull.”Instead, he said the new command – unique to the Pentagon’s structure – was aimed at more effectively reorganising US military efforts in Africa to strengthen African nations’ peacekeeping, trafficking and anti-terror efforts.”The whole purpose of Africom is to help African leaders deal with African problems,” Bush said.Bush sought to dispel the notion about militarisation of Africa even before giving reporters a chance to ask him about it.Kufuour said he was satisfied with Bush’s explanation, and thanked him for announcing it “so that the relationship between us and the United States will grow stronger.”For now, the administration has decided to continue operating Africom out of existing US bases on the continent with a headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.War-wrecked Liberia is the only African nation that has publicly offered to host a headquarters.- Nampa-APSeveral African countries, including Libya, Nigeria and South Africa, have expressed deep reservations, fearing the plan signals an unwanted expansion of American power on the continent or is a cover for protecting Africa’s vast oil resources on the United States’ behalf.Ghana’s President, John Kufuor, raised the issue with Bush during their meetings at Osu Castle, a centuries-old building that was once a hub of slave-trading and now is the seat of government.”You’re not going to build any bases,” he told Bush – according to Bush.”I know there’s rumours in Ghana ‘All Bush is coming to do is try to convince you to put a big military base here’,” Bush said at a news conference with Kufuor.”That’s baloney.As they say in Texas, that’s bull.”Instead, he said the new command – unique to the Pentagon’s structure – was aimed at more effectively reorganising US military efforts in Africa to strengthen African nations’ peacekeeping, trafficking and anti-terror efforts.”The whole purpose of Africom is to help African leaders deal with African problems,” Bush said.Bush sought to dispel the notion about militarisation of Africa even before giving reporters a chance to ask him about it.Kufuour said he was satisfied with Bush’s explanation, and thanked him for announcing it “so that the relationship between us and the United States will grow stronger.”For now, the administration has decided to continue operating Africom out of existing US bases on the continent with a headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.War-wrecked Liberia is the only African nation that has publicly offered to host a headquarters.- Nampa-AP

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