AFRICOM and the perception mess

[KingJaja]

As of today.

Nigerians deported from South Africa: 133
South Africans deported from Nigeria: 121

Nigeria needs to deport 12 more South Africans to make up the numbers!

[Stan]

I'd be very interested to know why he likes it.

The AFRICOM HQ construction (if it was approved) would not have been the largest construction project in SSA. There are many other non-controversial construction projects in going on right now (Nairobi-Thika Road, Bui Dam etc).

They departed today but I did manage to speak with him again RE The Boogieman. In a word they are considered red-headed step children by their EUCOM counterparts, and being the boogieman just sounds better.

The point about the HQs being built has little to do with the initial amount of money - the point is the base would be a constant source of money (rent) and employment opportunities (paid under US laws, not Nigerian). Anyone can build a road and leave.

Building a base and maintaining it, providing family housing and maintaining those, building an international school and maintaining that, building shops and fast food restaurants and maintaining those, creating a vehicle fleet from local purchases and maintaining that, etc, etc.

Surely you can see the potential over even a 5-year period.

[Stan]

Hey Stan,

US are building new embassies all over Central Africa. Is there some plans to set AFRICOM in that part of Africa?
By the way a unique central command center for all africa is not what I would qualify as a extremely smart decision. France, UK... had several bases and that was for a good reason: you can't deploy troops all over Africa only from Djibouti. (It's too hot anyway there)

Hey M-A,
The original plan was to set up on African soil, but the defense budget cuts may mean moving AFRICOM to the US. Being based in Germany is expensive and room is at a premium.

AFRICOM's HQs would not mean stationing war time assets there. Only the HQs and staff elements. Deployments would still have to come from abroad for training teams, etc.

If Uncle Mo was still alive, you could be certain that AFRICOM would be right in the Middle of Kinshasa

[Stan]

Nigerians, understandably, have a tough time with immigration authorities all over the World. While we might be willing to accept rude behaviour from US immigration authorities (I was sexually assaulted in Chicago in 2005), but we will not accept the same behaviour from African nations (especially from an African nation with one of the highest HIV infection rates and public health challenges of its own).

It's like a step back in time with those yellow vaccination cards I can't remember how many I had to buy !

I have not been to the US since 97 when I retired and even then the NYC INS were having a good time with my luggage (coming from what they thought was the USSR )

A long time ago deportations usually meant someone wanted money, but this doesn't sound the same for SA and Nigeria. Diplomats always ended up deported, but not the common tourist or traveler. What's with this new wave ?

[Fuchs]

Hey M-A,
The original plan was to set up on African soil, but the defense budget cuts may mean moving AFRICOM to the US. Being based in Germany is expensive and room is at a premium.

Did they ever look into setting up in Melilla/Ceuta? It's the only formally allied territory in Africa (being part of Spain).

[davidbfpo]

Fuchs,

Nice idea, but I expect the Spanish would not "play ball" with that idea. Neither enclave is that large and we know the US military like a large basing footprint. Not sure what the Moroccan reaction would be either.

Since Stan, as AFRICOM's accommodation officer designate, has downplayed the African island of Ascension Island, perhaps in the spirit of the 'Special Relationship' we can offer Gibraltar! It is near Africa, with some water between, it is British (OK the Spanish disagree) and it has several empty barracks, in a rather grand, if bleak setting. The weather is a better African mix than Stuttgart.

[Stan]

Did they ever look into setting up in Melilla/Ceuta? It's the only formally allied territory in Africa (being part of Spain).

Sven, that's barely 12 square kilometers ! Where would we put all the locals

If the Governor of Virginia still has a say and Secretary Gates doesn't go back on his word, AFRICOM will be in the US shortly. Too tempting perhaps - all the fast food joints and schools are already built !

I responded to your blog post. Probably not the most conventional idea, but, Estonians don't fight fair !

Fuchs,

Since Stan, as AFRICOM's accommodation officer designate, has downplayed the African island of Ascension Island, perhaps in the spirit of the 'Special Relationship' we can offer Gibraltar! It is near Africa, with some water between, it is British (OK the Spanish disagree) and it has several empty barracks, in a rather grand, if bleak setting. The weather is a better African mix than Stuttgart.

David, I already pitched Ascension two nights ago. The whole table, all 15 officers, laughed themselves sober. Even the Lithuanian Colonel had tears in his eyes.

Having been to Gibraltar, we're going to have to remove all the primates and all those Brits (that charge you 100 Euros for a brisk 30-minute ride up and back) are going to be against this move

[davidbfpo]

Stan,

Oh, I forgot to mention Gibraltar has huge empty underground space, so we could place AFRICOM inside 'The Rock' and thereby lower the profile. There's even some natural air conditioning, those holes made for earlier times artillery.

Off-duty the staff can gaze across the straits to Africa from the barracks, which is a real gain IMHO.

As for the primates are atop 'The Rock' and are really the guards on the 9.2" guns - just in case someone thinks they can invade!

Anyway I am gratified that my proposal caused laughter and sobriety!

[Fuchs]

Fuchs,

Nice idea, but I expect the Spanish would not "play ball" with that idea. Neither enclave is that large and we know the US military like a large basing footprint. Not sure what the Moroccan reaction would be either.

Since Stan, as AFRICOM's accommodation officer designate, has downplayed the African island of Ascension Island, perhaps in the spirit of the 'Special Relationship' we can offer Gibraltar! It is near Africa, with some water between, it is British (OK the Spanish disagree) and it has several empty barracks, in a rather grand, if bleak setting. The weather is a better African mix than Stuttgart.

Djibouti would really be an obvious solution, or Monrovia.

Liberia has a special history with the U.S. and Djibouti is used to be a French/European military base. Djibouti could also serve as backup plan for CENTCOM if they ever get expelled from Qatar.

Canary Islands would probably be more comfortable than those, though.

[KingJaja]

Is AFRICOM still thinking of basing in Africa?

One of the problems with US bases is the need to create a medium sized US city in the remotest parts of the World (together with the obligatory McDonalds and Crispy Creme Doughnuts (please note my spelling of the word Doughnut!)).

Neither Djibouti nor Liberia can support a medium sized US style city, and the nations that can (Kenya, South Africa, Algeria, Tunisia, Nigeria, Ethiopia) are most definitely opposed to that sort of US presence.

All this talk is theoretical, ten years of defense budget cuts in the States will put paid to wet dreams about a "global military empire".

[Fuchs]

Why support? All they need is a harbour to ship in the necessary million tons of supply per year, an airbase of 4 km length as well as a cement factory for all the paranoid blast-proof architecture and complete immunity against local jurisdiction.
It's not as if such a U.S. mil base would actually draw on civilian food, electricity...



Seriously, I dislike the whole concept of regional commands. It's a self-inflicted wound in my eyes, but maybe I've just learned too much about bureaucratic self-interests already.

[KingJaja]

Why support? All they need is a harbour to ship in the necessary million tons of supply per year, an airbase of 4 km length as well as a cement factory for all the paranoid blast-proof architecture and complete immunity against local jurisdiction.
It's not as if such a U.S. mil base would actually draw on civilian food, electricity...

One remembers they are importing chicken wings into Iraq (and sugar!).

[Stan]

Is AFRICOM still thinking of basing in Africa?

Jaja,
No, they are not. Looks like their new home is Virginia. This thread just warmed up with my visitors this week. Otherwise, once they do move there will be little to discuss here

You know what we used to say about "the fastest animal on earth" in Africa ? The skinny and underfed chicken. If the whole body barely weighs what a Cornish hen weighs, imagine how small the wings are. One thing is generally clear, we are a spoiled bunch and things like snow-white sugar and real chicken wings are a must.

[carl]

One thing is generally clear, we are a spoiled bunch and things like snow-white sugar and real chicken wings are a must.

Well if chicken wings are the only thing standing in the way, then Kinshasa it should be. Tyson chicken direct from Arkansas is already available, or at least it was.

[M-A Lagrange]

Should put AFRICOM in Cabinda, the small piece of Angola stuck between Congo Brazza and Congo Kinshasa. There you have: access to at least 2 huge ports, an oil pipeline, an armed group for training, stupid soldier who blow cities because of bad ammunition storage, shopping centers within less than 40 min flight, the most expensive city of Africa within less than 1h flight...
And US investors even said they would build a deep sea port in Banana, less than 3 days by road (approxiamately 50 Km).
And if you are nice and work hard, you even can get a continental war at your door!

[KingJaja]

The spat has ended. The South Africans blinked first, they have formally apologised. This has been very popular in Nigeria, but not so in South Africa (perfectly understandable).

South Africa has problems with the rest of Africa and the wave of xenophobic attacks that occurred in 2009 did not help matters.

The Federal Government has accepted the apology tendered by the South African government over the deportation of 125 Nigerians last Friday.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, yesterday in Abuja.

Addressing the media, Ashiru said that the diplomatic row between the two countries is over and they have promised to erect a lasting framework that will forestall such incident from happening again.

He said, "With this formal apology from the South African government, I would now finally say that we are going to move forward and consolidate on our relations.

"We took immediate steps to protect the interest of Nigerians as what the South Africans did is unAfrican. We have never seen that kind of treatment meted out to any other nationals; deporting 125 persons in two days."

A total of 131 South Africans were deported in retaliation by Nigerian authorities for issues bordering on poor documentation.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201203090353.html

Stan,

I've actually traveled around Africa (South Africa inclusive) with fake yellow cards. The Togolese were not in the bit interested in yellow cards (they had other interests). Kenyans couldn't be bothered and the South Africans just glanced at it and gave it back to me.

[Stan]

Stan,

I've actually traveled around Africa (South Africa inclusive) with fake yellow cards. The Togolese were not in the bit interested in yellow cards (they had other interests). Kenyans couldn't be bothered and the South Africans just glanced at it and gave it back to me.

Jaja,
I think back then everybody had a fake yellow vaccination card. Half of us would dare to take that many yellow fever and cholera injections !
The Zairois loved the yellow card system - lots of money to be made. It only takes a single look inside the medical office at the airport to realize you do not want a shot.

[Stan]

Well if chicken wings are the only thing standing in the way, then Kinshasa it should be. Tyson chicken direct from Arkansas is already available, or at least it was.

Carl,
I think Tyson is long out of the picture. Even before that I'm not 100% certain that all the poultry was of US origin.

There were a ton of issues regarding conflict minerals and concerns over the methods of food growth and harvest, and treatment of animals

We won't go into labor conditions

[ganulv]

Should put AFRICOM in Cabinda

NYC–to–Dakar is an eight hour direct, the food is good, the infrastructure is decent, and Americans might learn that not all Muslims are Arabs. Of course, the fact that there would be honest concerns about setting up shop in a country as relatively stable and modern as Senegal underscores why it looks like the move will be Stateside.

[KingJaja]

NYC–to–Dakar is an eight hour direct, the food is good, the infrastructure is decent, and Americans might learn that not all Muslims are Arabs. Of course, the fact that there would be honest concerns about setting up shop in a country as relatively stable and modern as Senegal underscores why it looks like the move will be Stateside.

There's no point having an AFRICOM if you are going to base it in the States (different time zones, distance etc.). Give it up. AFRICOM could have made sense thirty years ago, not today.

It just doesn't make sense.