Parallels between Victorian Britain and 21st Century US
In understanding the African aversion to AFRICOM it is important to consider the parallels between the last great imperial power in Africa, Britain and the United States.
1. Unchallenged Naval power: The greatest beneficiary of the Napoleonic Wars was Britain. It allowed Britain to dominate the World's seas during the Victorian era. Similarly, the greatest beneficiary of the Cold War is the US and the US Navy dominates the 21st Century the same way the Royal Navy dominated the 19th.
2. Privatisation of War: The major fallout of the Afghan and Iraqi campaigns is the reluctance of the US to commit ground troops to on foreign soil. As Robert Gates so delicately put it; "anyone who wants to send American troops to a large scale war in either Asia or Africa should have his head examined". This creates a wide space for non-state actors like the South African mercenary community and Blackwater. It is interesting to note that the primary agents of British imperialism were private companies (Royal Niger Company, East India Company) with their own private armies.
The process of arriving at this point may be different. For the Brits, private companies came before British army engagement and for the US, private armies are a result of US reluctance to conduct risky operations on African soil. The consequences are similar, both the British and US Government believed/are beginning to believe they have reduced the risks of military engagement in Africa.
3. Small Wars: The title of this discussion board says it all. The Victorians fought a series of small wars across Africa, ranging from battles against the Mahdi in Khartoum, to the Boer war, to campaigns against the Aro and the Bini in Nigeria. The US army /marines, like the British Army before it is gearing up to fight a series of small wars across Africa. The transition from "advisor" to "combatant" can be very short, and events have a way of creating their own dynamic.
4. The Wonder Weapon: For the Brits it was the Maxim gun. It was used to devastating effect in Matabeleland and in Khartoum.
In the words of Hilaire Beloc:
Whatever happens, we have got
The Maxim gun, and they have not.
(I learned that poem in high school).
For the Americans, it is your drones. (Sadly, Beloc is no longer with us, so we have to make do with tepid consultant-speak like Asymmetricization) :D
The effect is the same, the risks of going to war are reduced.
5. Great Power Rivalry: Up until the Berlin Conference, British faced off a number of imperial rivals: France (primarily), Portugal, Germany and Belgium. For the US today, its China.
6. The Allure of a Noble Cause: For the Brits it was spreading Christianity and civilisation. For America it is eliminating terrorism, spreading democracy and human rights and securing our national security interests.
7. You both speak English!!
I am by no means suggesting that Americans have the same imperial designs as Victorian Britain, but the parallels between Victorian Britain and 21st Century America send alarm bells ringing in our minds. We may be silly or paranoid or both, but you cannot erase 100 years of history.
We all know how the Victorian Brits ended up in Africa, it was a pretty bloody affair.