US Forces Expulsion May Lead Toward Renewed Russian Influence Across Africa
© Sputnik . Na-Allah Harouna
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Eroding US influence across Africa, highlighted by the demands of Niger and Chad that the US troops vacate major military bases, are giving Russia more influence on the continent than it has enjoyed in at least 35 years, US analysts told Sputnik.
Chad and Niger have demanded that US forces leave major air bases they have operated in their countries.
The government of Chad felt confident in demanding the evacuation of US forces precisely because their relations with Russia were so markedly improving already, California State University Emeritus Professor of Political Science Beau Grosscup said.
"[The call for US withdrawal was made] because they are shifting toward Russia. It is significant," Grosscup said.
These developments constitute a major boost to Russia's standing across Africa and give Moscow more influence on the continent that it has not had since the fall of the Soviet Union, Grosscup said.
However, the United States could not be ruled out as a continuing major factor and influence across Africa, he said.
"I doubt the United States is losing its footprints as it is expanding in other regions and Chad and Niger aren't major players," Grosscup added.
Reactions to US Military Power in Africa
Covert Action Magazine Managing Editor and military analyst Jeremy Kuzmarov assessed the recent moves in Chad and Niger as reactions against US military power in Africa and around the world that were rebounding to Russia's advantage.
"It is significant, yes. It reflects a growing backlash against US military power in Africa and a growing movement for African autonomy and independence," Kuzmarov said.
Across Africa, there had recently been numerous coups that were designed to remove corrupt leaders backed by the United States and the West and to expel US troops, he noted.
"Niger had a coup and the new government is forcing the closure of a huge US drone base at Agadez," Kuzmarov said.
The United States was trying to negotiate agreements with Ghana and the Ivory Coast to make up for the loss of the Chad base but it was not clear that those governments would give Washington what it wanted, he said.
"Generally, developments in Chad and Niger and elsewhere could have a ripple effect and inspire other countries to seek the removal of US bases," Kuzmarov said.
Russia, and also China, was the clear beneficiary of these developments, he said.
"Many African countries are turning more to Russia and China, which has built a lot of infrastructure and has helped improve people’s quality of life in Africa," Kuzmarov said.
However, Kuzmarov too warned that US military forces were not about to evacuate Africa en masse.
"Still the United States still has a huge military presence in Africa, and this won’t be eradicated overnight. America has a strong presence across the continent," Kuzmarov said.
Nevertheless, the consequences of the loss of the US military footprint in Africa would be very positive for the continent as an underlying US goal is to steal and exploit Africa's natural resources, he said.
"The US military presence has fueled great instability and terrorism. So, if the United States is forced to leave [Africa], terrorism would decline. Most terrorism is a response to foreign military occupation," Kuzmarov added.
Stabilizing Influence
Independent Institute Center for Peace and Liberty Director Ivan Eland agreed that the US government for the first time in nearly a quarter century was winding down its military presence in the Sahel region.
"The US presence across the Sahel is shrinking in four countries. But this area is not important for US security," Eland said.
Instead, Russia could step in to play a more successful stabilizing influence in the region and the fight against local Islamists can be done by Russia, he said.
US politicians and policymakers remained obsessed with the idea that the United States needed to compete with Russia all over the world, but this was an obsolete and untrue assumption - a leftover mindset from the Cold War, Eland said.
It was time for US policymakers to finally recognize that Russia had long been fighting Islamist extremists to protect their own people and therefore the United States should let them do so in the Sahel region too if they were willing to, Eland said.
"Why not let Russia help these nations combat the Islamists? The United States needs to marshal all resources and attention for East Asia," Eland added.
Russian military specialists have already arrived in Niger to provide combat training and deploy an air defense system in the country, the Nigerien state broadcaster RTN reported on April 12.
