The Pentagon was looking at pulling nearly all U.S. commandos from Niger and shutting down most elite counterterrorism units across Africa, according to a September 02, 2018 report in The New York Times. In his 2015 article for TomDispatch.com, Nick Turse, disclosed that there are dozens of US military installations in Africa, besides Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti. Another Special Forces detachment has been engaged in train, advise, and assist activities with a local counterterrorism force in Arlit, Niger. Since 9/11, the U.S. military has built a sprawling network of outposts in more than a dozen African countries. Without sustained pressure, the threat posed by these groups will.”, But in the face of deteriorating security and gloomy Pentagon assessments, some experts question this rationale. 26-12-2019 18:26:02 ZULU, A Guide To The Pentagon's Shadowy Network Of Bases In Africa, U.S. assembling secret drone bases in Africa, "Skepticism Abounds as AFRICOM Launch Looms, THE RUMOUR OF THE U.S MILITARY BASE IN GHANA. Continue. The coastal town of Lamu is frequently the site of large joint Kenyan-US military exercises. Deep in the mountains of Honduras, few know what this US military task force does. But one official told the Times that African countries have developed extremely capable counterterrorism forces and many do not need a permanent U.S. presence. The three military men stole weapons from the military headquarters in Yaoundé and went to Togo’s capital, Lomé, where they used the weapons to harass Togolese, according to Togolese police. It is located in one of the 26 major cities of Western Tokyo – Fussa. script.setAttribute("src", "//www.npttech.com/advertising.js"); I mean, inherent in your question is that I view China as a fierce competitor on the continent of Africa -- no, I don't. document.cookie = "__adblocker=" + (adblocker ? Military To Go. The United States has a base in Entebbe that it uses to fly PC-12 surveillance aircraft in search of Kony's LRA. The United States has had a military drone base at Arba Minch since 2011. How do they coincide? The Intercept has obtained U.S. military documents and a set of accompanying maps that provide the locations of these African bases in 2019, including the one at Manda Bay. More information about Togo is available on the Togo Page and from other Department of State publications and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet. According to the Times, the move is part of a shift in U.S. strategy from battling insurgents to focusing on potential large-scale fighting. The Washington Post reported 21 September 2011 that the U.S. was building a new military installation to host the unmanned aircraft in Ethiopia, where drones can more easily attack members of the militant group al-Shabab that is fighting for control of neighboring Somalia. There are now roughly 25 active militant Islamist groups operating in Africa, up from just five in 2010 — a jump of 400 percent — according to the Defense Department’s Africa Center for Strategic Studies. A withdrawal would also end U.S. support for French military efforts in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso in their war along with local troops against Al-Qaeda and Islamic State group jihadists. AFRICOM told the DoDIG that security in West Africa continued to deteriorate during the final quarter of 2019 as terrorist groups “launched a growing number of offensive attacks against military facilities and troops … often resulting in large numbers of casualties” to U.S.-allied armed forces. The base is located in Abu Ghraib, in the Anbar province. ", "Only war-torn Liberia has offered to host an AFRICOM regional headquarters. The new 2019 AFRICOM planning documents provide information on five bases slated for closure, including a longtime “enduring” site in Gaborone, Botswana, and four contingency locations, or CLs, in Faya Largeau, Chad; Lakipia, Kenya; Benina, Libya; and Gao, Mali. var setNptTechAdblockerCookie = function(adblocker) { In Diffa, according to a recent inspector general’s report, a small unit of U.S. Special Forces has been providing advice and assistance to Niger’s 51st Special Intervention Battalion, which conducts operations in the Lake Chad region. Smoke rises from a U.S. military base in Lamu County, Kenya, on Jan. 5, 2020. The United States Africa Command, also known as U.S. AFRICOM, is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Rather, with a diverse array of Forward Operating Sites (FOS) and Cooperative Security Locations (CSL), we will enhance regional training, assist partners in building capacity for counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics operations, and maintain contingency access for remote areas. "Secondly," Bush said, "we do not contemplate adding new bases. Use Base Guides to find United States military bases. I said, I understand; nor do we want to. On 7 July 2014, the Togolese navy got a RPB 33 patrol boat that was named Agou (P 763). The first unit that landed there was the 5-th Division. When the command was formed, it was formed out of an existing headquarters based in Germany. The Military of Togo, in French FAT (Forces armées togolaises, "Togolese armed forces"), consists of the army, navy, air force, and gendarmerie. This is a list of military installations owned or used by the United States Armed Forces currently located in the United States and around the world. The US troops set up a base in Obo and were expected to coordinate their efforts with local government forces and Ugandan soldiers. “VEOs in West Africa are not degraded nor contained to the Sahel and Lake Chad region,” the command admitted. Immediately after his death, Eyadema’s son, Faure Gnassingbé, was declared president with the support of the Army. The senators argued that “any withdrawal or reduction would likely result in a surge in violent extremist attacks on the continent and beyond as well as increase the geopolitical influence of competitors like Russia and China.” James Inhofe, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee echoed these concerns. Despite the general harmony within the country, Djibouti’s coast is getting crowded and tensions playing out beyond the sea. “It’s time for an honest reassessment of U.S. anti-terror strategy in Africa, including greater transparency about the size and scope of U.S. military operations there,” he told The Intercept. We don’t have ads, so we depend on our members — 35,000 and counting — to help us hold the powerful to account. There were 3,471 reported violent events linked to these groups last year, a 1,105 percent increase since 2009. Manley refused to say which two additional bases were dropped from the 2019 list. In addition, the Constitutional Court, which was partially re… Where do you want to be near? The purpose of U.S. Africa Command is to help leaders provide African solutions for African problems, Bush said in Accra, Ghana, during a joint news conference with Ghana's President John Kufuor. Outside of Office Hours, contact: 22 61 54 70 ext0. Togo military size for 2017 was 10,000.00, a 7.53% increase from 2016. ". While the five U.S. outposts in Somalia rank second only to the six in Niger when it comes to America’s footprint on the continent, AFRICOM is actively seeking to expand its presence in the Horn of Africa. We work closely with personnel offices on base to provide you the services and information you need. Or as we say in Texas, that's bull. The situation has become so grim that U.S. military aims in West Africa have recently been scaled back from a strategy of degrading the strength and reach of terror groups to nothing more than “containment.”, The current archipelago of U.S. outposts in Africa represents a decrease of seven sites from the 34 bases detailed in a set of briefing documents by AFRICOM science adviser Peter Teil that were published by The Intercept in 2018. I believe the explanation the President has given should put fade to the speculation, so that the relationship between us and the United States will grow stronger and with mutual respect. The United States has had a military drone base at Arba Minch since 2011. "I mean, I think we can pursue agendas that -- without creating a great sense of competition. Later the U.S. had two primary organizations operating in the Horn; Operation Enduring Freedom-Trans Sahara (OEF-TS) and Combined Joint Taskforce-Horn of Africa (CTF-HOA), the latrer stationed in a former French Foreign Legion base in the tiny Red Sea state of Djibouti. It is a command structure that is aiming to help provide military assistance to African nations, so African nations are more capable of dealing with Africa's conflicts -- like peacekeeping training. US military outposts in Cameroon, Kenya, Libya and Tunisia would also be closed if Defense Secretary Jim Mattis approved the plans, but the U.S. would still have a large military presence in Nigeria and Somalia. on about your day, ask yourself: How likely is it that the story you just read would have been produced by a different news outlet if The Intercept hadn’t done it? Main Operating Base (MOB) is an overseas, permanently manned, well protected base, used to support permanently deployed forces, and with robust sea and/or air access. What’s Next? But General Thomas Waldhauser, head of the African Command, had previously told the Times the U.S. would not "walk away" and abandon its mission to train local forces in counterterrorism operations. Togo was the most militarized country in the world with a military ratio of about 250/300 inhabitants. “What U.S. Africa Command accomplishes with relatively few people and few dollars, on a continent three-and-a-half times the size of the continental United States, is a bargain for the American taxpayer,” Manley told The Intercept. "I don't view Africa as zero-sum for China and the United States," Bush said. According to Swart, Africans don’t trust U.S. officials when they deny that AFRICOM is a precursor to steadily increasing numbers of American troops on the continent and U.S. “interference” in African foreign and domestic policy. Professor Gerrie Swart, political science lecturer at the University of South Africa, says “much confusion, suspicion and mistrust” continue to characterize the continent’s reaction to AFRICOM. Now, that doesn't mean we won't develop some kind of office somewhere in Africa. Specially Negotiated Hotel Rates. U.S. Citizens with emergencies, please call 22 61 54 70. But there’s sustained resistance from the media and civil society groups in Africa to an increased U.S. military presence. WARSAW, July 31 (Reuters) – The United States will establish a permanent military … “I think it’s self-obvious we were not as prepared there in Manda Bay as we needed to be,” AFRICOM’s Townsend told the Senate Armed Services Committee on January 30. Looking for a specific military base? Whatever the real number of bases, the recent alteration of AFRICOM’s footprint in 2019 appears to be a strategic consolidation as the command fortifies its presence in some of the continent’s hottest hotspots. Consular Services for U.S. Military Personnel and Dependents The U.S. Mission in Japan is pleased and honored to be able to serve our military colleagues and their families. “I haven’t made any decisions yet on West Africa or East Africa,” Esper said recently, while at the same time calling on European nations to “step up in Africa.”, Talk of scaling back U.S. posture and presence in Africa has prompted fierce pushback in Congress. Smoke rises from a U.S. military base in Lamu County, Kenya, on Jan. 5, 2020. The U.S. has had military presence in the Horn of Africa in the past. “Strategic access to Africa, its airspace, and its surrounding waters is vital to U.S. national security,” Townsend told the Senate Armed Services Committee late last month. He and others have argued for what they contend is AFRICOM’s supposed bang for the buck. The request was issued 02 December 2010, but did not specify which country the Pentagon might have in mind. Socialist Legislators Want to Impeach Cuomo for Abuses of Power. In 1967, a military coup installed Eyadema Gnassingbé as president, and he held power until his death in 2005. These formerly secret documents, created by the Pentagon’s Africa Command and obtained via the Freedom of Information Act, offer an exclusive window into the footprint of American military operations in Africa. They do not,” Pajibo emphasized. “Many of these groups have ambition to attack Americans and our partners. A lot of people don’t know, but the base where our troops live is not where the airfield is. ", On 08 September 2011, General Carter Ham, commander, U.S. Africa Command, addressed the location of the command's headquarters, stating that the headquarters will remain in Stuttgart for the foreseeable future. It currently has 2 wooden-hulled patrol boats, the Kara (P 761), and the Mono (P 762), which have both been in service since 1976. Both Seychelles and the United States had acknowledged the base in the past, but reported then that it was only there to track area pirate operations. Large bases are not a part of our plan; they are not supportive of what we hope to do with our African partners. ", On 16 August 2004 Gen. Charles F. Wald, Deputy Commander, U.S. European Command, stated that "In Africa, we will expand our cooperative security relationships to help partners meet the challenges of ungoverned and under-governed areas. Dwayne is the author of several books on the history and experiences of African people, both on the continent and in the diaspora. I am happy, one, for the President dispelling any notion that the United States of America is intending to build military bases on the continent of Africa. ", Ghana's President John Kufuor said "Thank you, Mr. President. There were between 6,000 and 7,000 US troops in Africa, mainly in West Africa but also in places like Somalia. Opposition parties denounce the results as fraudulent. His colleague, Temi Ibirogba, a program and research associate with the Africa Program at CIP, noted that the rise of violent extremism in Africa in the face of persistent U.S. military engagement since 9/11 should be cause for skepticism of the “more is better” strategy. Outside of Togo: +228 22 61 54 70 The United States operates a global network of military installations and is by far the largest operator of military bases abroad with locations in dozens of nations on every continent, with 38 "named bases" having active-duty, National Guard, reserve, or civilian personnel as of September 30, 2014. script.setAttribute("onerror", "setNptTechAdblockerCookie(true);"); In addition to Camp Lemonier, by 2007 three permanent contingency operating locations were up and running, two in Ethiopia (Bilate and Hurso) and one in Kenya (Manda Bay). Even after a decade-plus spent fighting militants in Somalia, “the threat posed by al Shabaab and ISIS-Somalia in East Africa remains ‘high,’ despite continued U.S. airstrikes and training of Somali security forces,” the Defense Intelligence Agency told the Defense Department’s Inspector General. Violent extremism and insecurity on the continent has increased exponentially during the very years that the U.S. has been building up its network of bases, providing billions of dollars in security assistance to local partners, conducting persistent counterterrorism operations that include commando raids, combat by U.S. Special Operations forces in at least 13 African countries between 2013 and 2017, and a record number of U.S. airstrikes in Somalia (just over one attack per week in 2019). U.S. Africa Command’s “Enduring Footprint” and “Non-Enduring Footprint” in 2019. Togo - Military Personnel. The Army, for the first time, will send soldiers from one of its new training brigades to Africa to expand the use of the new specialized units as the Pentagon looks at possible troop cuts on the continent. However, these public expenditures increased the risk of debt unsustainability since it boosted the debt ratio to more than 80% of GDP in 2016. În sud are ieșire la Oceanul Atlantic, la Golful Guineii, unde se află capitala Lomé Some U.S. defense officials oppose the plan to close down military posts in Africa, saying it could cut U.S. influence at a time when China and Russia are looking to bolster theirs. Joining is simple and doesn’t need to cost a lot: You can become a sustaining member for as little as $3 or $5 a month. But they were able to get access to that airfield, kill three Americans and destroy six aircraft there. Air Force fire protection specialists douse a simulated ship fire with foam during a training exercise at the Military Sealift Command Training Center East in Freehold, N.J., on Dec. 5, 2013. ", Bush also stressed that the United States does not seek bases in Africa but may eventually seek administrative offices. It's less than two hours from Algiers, for example. It's an Ethiopian airfield.". #ga-ad {display: none;} Besides Obo, the US forces also have a forward base in South Sudan. The Pentagon defines “enduring” bases as providing “strategic access and use to support United States security interests for the foreseeable future.” “Non-Enduring” outposts — also known as “contingency locations” — are defined as supporting and sustaining “operations during contingencies or other operations.” Contingency locations can be categorized as initial, temporary, or semipermanent. During the 1941 attack, Miller also opened fire on Japanese planes, despite the … In other words, the purpose of this is not to add military bases. But it is worth noting that since the 2019 base posture document was produced, the U.S. pulled its forces out of the North African nation. Since the plans were created, according to AFRICOM spokesperson John Manley, two bases have been shuttered, leaving the U.S. with an archipelago of 15 “enduring locations” and 12 less-permanent “contingency locations.” The documents note, however, that AFRICOM is actively seeking to enhance its presence and is primed for expansion in the future. The report also said the U.S. has re-opened a drone base in the Seychelles, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, where a small fleet of "hunter-killer" drones resumed operations this month after a test mission determined that aircraft based there could patrol Somalia. According to the American journalist, US military also had access to locations in Algeria, Botswana, Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Tunisia, Zambia and other countries. They began deploying to Uganda in early December 2011. This is something that needs to be done across Africa. “Today, more than a dozen terrorist groups with ties to Al Qaida and ISIS are operating across Africa,” he said late last month. The U.S. base at Baledogle received attention last September when it was attacked by the Somali terrorist group, al-Shabab. When it was all over, the two American pilots of that plane and a U.S. soldier were dead, two other U.S. military personnel were wounded, six surveillance aircraft and helicopters were destroyed, and parts of the airfield were in flames. In the wake of the attack last month, its defenses were also hardened and its troop strength markedly increased. Consider what the world of media would look like without The Intercept. Photo: Xin Huashefa/Xinhua via Getty Smoke rises from a U.S. military base … The base was responsible for aircrafts, ships and submarines. So it was a practical decision actually to just remain in Germany. The attack in Kenya came at a time when Defense Secretary Mark Esper was already considering proposals for a major drawdown of U.S. forces on the other side of the continent, in West Africa, including the possible abandonment of a recently built $110 million drone base in Agadez, Niger. The 228th Aviation Regiment composes JTF-B’s air assets with 10 UH-60 Black Hawks, four HH-60 Black Hawks, and six CH-47 Chinooks. In October 2011 President Obama said he was sending 100 American troops to Uganda to help and advise forces fighting the Lord’s Resistance Army. Reported fatalities resulting from African militant Islamist group activity also increased by 7 percent over last year, to an estimated 10,460 deaths. US Army to test out MAPS base kits on combat vehicles. Notably, of the 19 members of the National Electoral Commission (CENI), only 2 are from the opposition. We have negotiated special hotel rates as well as consolidated the best hotel rates available in the marketplace. But a recent inspector general’s report, examining U.S. counterterrorism efforts in Africa, raises serious questions about the utility of billions of tax dollars spent on U.S. bases, operations, and assistance to local partners. On 19 December 2011 Agence France-Presse reported that US special forces had set up a base in the Central African Republic as part of their regional hunt for fighters from the Ugandan-born Lord's Resistance Army group. According to Manley, the Pentagon’s so-called Blank Slate Review process is still ongoing, and there has been no change to U.S. “force posture” in Africa as of yet. Left-wing legislators have changed the game, taking on Cuomo for sexual harassment — and the style of politics he represents. Facing a potential drawdown of forces, AFRICOM has been making the case that its bases and the missions run from them are integral to U.S. interests. That’s all it takes to support the journalism you rely on. According to the Command's homepage, "The command has no plans to move its headquarters from Stuttgart and will be located here for the foreseeable future. US troops are stationed inside Camp Simba, a Kenyan naval base located on that country's sandy coast. One of them took aim with a rocket-propelled grenade, firing at a U.S. surveillance plane and touching off an hourslong firefight. The people of Togo must developed new institutions that limit the power of the presidency and the military. Fussa, US Military Bases in Japan. Points of Progress: US Navy honors Doris Miller, and more. }, Page last modified: H.R. The American domination began in the autumn of 1945. The 2019 planning documents provide locations for 29 bases located in 15 different countries or territories, with the highest concentrations in the Sahelian states on the west side of the continent, as well as the Horn of Africa in the east. “Additional posture and/or capacity is required in East Africa to more efficiently employ limited aviation resources in support of U.S. activities in southern Somalia,” according to the formerly secret files, which also mention the “potential establishment of one or more [contingency locations] in Somalia to support Somali National Security Force development.” The 2019 planning documents also state that five “contingency locations” were recommended to be upgraded to “semi-permanent” status: Baledogle, Kismayo, and Mogadishu in Somalia, and Arlit and Diffa in Niger. An Absolutely Crucial Voting Reform Measure Just Passed the House. Understanding units and bases in Russia's Western Military District. Explore Military Camp in Lomé, Togo as it appears on Google Maps and Bing Maps as well as pictures, stories and other notable nearby locations on VirtualGlobetrotting.com. So I am confident that by the time they are done, Manda Bay will be much more properly defended.”. Maps of U.S. “Enduring” and “Non-Enduring” bases in Africa. “Due to increased unrest in Libya, a contingent of U.S. forces supporting U.S. Africa Command temporarily relocated from the country in response to security conditions on the ground,” AFRICOM announced last April as the Libyan civil war flared up. Master Sgt. “These personnel and installations are critical in combatting the ever-increasing number of violent extremist groups throughout the region that pose an immediate threat to our partners and allies,” wrote U.S. Sens. document.cookie = "__adblocker=; expires=Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT; path=/"; Around 500 Special Operations forces are reportedly deployed on the other side of the continent in Somalia, the site of America’s most intense and longest-running undeclared war in Africa. … There’s about 120 infantrymen there on the ground now who are securing that place, and they’ve been working hard since 6 January to put in the appropriate level of defenses. ", Bush also said the United States does not intend to compete with China in Africa. As early as 2005 it was reported that American troops were deployed to Lamu, Kenya, as part of the 1,500-strong Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa. } The U.S. presence includes military trainers as well as a recently built $110 million drone base in Niger, the Times said. The US Air Force has spent millions of dollars to upgrade the airfield. And these were their picks for the “Best Military … The military appoints his son Faure as president, and he goes on to win elections that year and again in 2010, 2015 and 2020. “The U.S. military should be considering alternative approaches like better coordination with African regional and continental organizations and encouraging African governments to consider negotiations in certain cases,” she told The Intercept. https://tg.usembassy.gov/visit-us-army-africa-commander-lome “As the U.S. military footprint and military activities have increased, terrorist violence has grown and terrorist groups have proliferated.”. The Pentagon supports them by providing intelligence, logistical support and aerial refueling at an annual cost to the Pentagon of some $45 million a year. Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population. AFRICOM could be seen as a means of presenting a more approachable, humanitarian side to the U.S. military, but that has not been clearly relayed to the African continent; hence the current apprehension that exists,” explains Swar. Read full timeline One of the possible new cooperative security locations was in Cameroon. The Togolese navy (French: Marine Togolaise) officially the National Navy (French: Marine Nationale), was created on May 1, 1976 to guard the roughly 55 kilometers of Togolese coast and the seaport of Lomé. Forward Operating Base Abu Ghraib is one of the first military bases established by the United States of America in Iraq. Initially AFRICOM did not intend to place masses of troops on the continent but instead focused on continuing the missions that it has inherited from EUCOM and CENTCOM, while doing no harm. The kind of reporting we do is essential to democracy, but it is not easy, cheap, or profitable. The US has built a military air base at Manda Bay in Kenya. What’s Really in the Pandemic Relief Bill? In December 2007, Nigeria officially rejected a request that it agree to be the venue for a regional headquarters and encouraged other African nations to follow its lead; Ghana, arguably the most pro-American country in West Africa, did so. “The underlying drivers of terrorism, including poverty, corruption, and repression, do not have military solutions.”.  “America’s chief interests are stopping terrorism and gaining access to African oil. Well, may I just compliment what the President has just said. According to the Nigerian Prof. Toyin Falola, Professor of history at the University of Texas in Austin, USA, today, the United States has over 175 military bases in Africa...". US forces were also on the ground in Somalia to assist the regional fight against al-Shabab and in Cameroon to help with the multinational effort against Nigeria-based Boko Haram. The fourteen-nation Southern African Development Community voted expressly not to do so. “The current, overly militarized approach to fighting terrorism in Africa is not working,” said William Hartung, the director of the arms and security project at the Center for International Policy, or CIP. The base played a major role during the Korean War. U.S. military planners had been interested in establishing an airbase at Algeria's Tamanrasset facility in the Sahara Desert. A FOS will host occasional rotational forces and many contain pre-positioned equipment. The United States currently had one military base in the east African nation of Djibouti. "I know there's a controversial subject brewing around that's not very well understood, and that's: 'Why would America stand up what's called AFRICOM?'" To a related question, he stated the United States was not seeking to establish military bases in Africa. 3D Printable STL Files - 500+ Files of Buildings, Characters, Vehicles, Weapons For Role Playing Games, Tabletop, Wargames, Painting. 17 February 2021. 1. Number of Rooms. The Intercept is an independent nonprofit news outlet. Togo, oficial Republica Togoleză (în franceză République Togolaise), este o țară din Africa de Vest, care se învecinează cu Ghana la vest, Benin la est și Burkina Faso la nord. What are the forces at these bases doing there? So I think for the foreseeable future our headquarters will remain in Germany and it's a good location for us. The US military looked at 11 locations for small “cooperative security locations” to help African nations fight extremist groups and other security threats, according to AFRICOM spokesman Colonel Mark Cheadle 18 May 2016. We haven't made our minds up. The Togolese Armed Forces (French: Forces Armées Togolaises, FAT) is the national … Ezekiel Pajibo, the former head of Liberia’s Center for Democratic Empowerment and a strong critic of AFRICOM, convinced that the true drivers of AFRICOM are America’s growing need for African oil, Washington’s desire for a “new front” on which to combat terrorism and the U.S.’s wish to negate China’s increasing influence in Africa.