FORMER Senator representing Kaduna Central Shehu Sani has faulted the call by President Muhammadu Buhari for the United States to relocate its Africa Command (AFRICOM) to Africa.
The ICIR had reported how Buhari made the call during a virtual meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday in Abuja.
He also admonished the international community to support Nigeria and the sub-region in tackling growing security challenges to avoid spillovers.
He said AFRICOM, partnering with countries to counter transnational threats, should be relocated to Africa to strengthen ongoing efforts to check insecurity, with likely effect on other nations.
Reacting in a series of tweets, Sani worried that the call was an open invitation for recolonisation of Africa by other world powers who might want to follow suit immediately after the US moved in.
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“The President’s call for World powers military HQ on African soil is an open invitation for recolonisation of Africa. It’s easier to tell and get them to come and when they come, it’s impossible to tell and get them to go out,” he tweeted.
“Once the US relocates their HQ to Africa, Russia, China, Iran, Saudia, Israel, and co would follow suit with establishing their Commands HQs, and then Africa will be militarily balkanized; then we either become like Korea or like Syria.”
He added that African countries with over 60-years of independence should be able to work together to secure the continent, while honourably seeking foreign assistance in tackling insecurity.
“Over six decades since Independence, African countries should purposefully work together to confront & address their security challenges, while honourably seeking foreign technical assistance. The call for the US to relocate its @USAfricaCommand HQ to Africa is unconscionable.”
AFRICOM is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense, headquartered at Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany.
It is responsible for US military operations, including fighting regional conflicts and maintaining military relations with 53 African nations. Its area of responsibility covers all of Africa except Egypt, which is within the area of responsibility of the United States Central Command.
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