Some readers will no doubt remember the Kony 2012 movie
sensation. It was a flash in the pan that was quickly eclipsed by other events,
especially the Chibok girls in 2014. All of these stories, from al-Shabaab's
2012 Church attacks in Kenya to the 2013 attack on the Westgate Mall have
played a role in shaping Western public opinion with regard to Western military
interventions in Africa.
An informed minority has always contended these are
essentially phony humanitarian interventions. These events are being used as a
pretext for US military involvement on the African continent. The humanitarian
justification for military operations has been in vogue since the 1990s. It's
just a marketing trick. Today, when 'terrorism' doesn't work, the propagandists
and media can always whip out the humanitarian card.
The Kony story all but faded and earlier this year the
Pentagon basically said the hunt for the terrorist/paramilitary/cult leader has
effectively come to an end. And yet, this hardly means everyone is packing up
and going home. The Trump administration definitely wishes to 'throttle back'
(as it were) the US investment but the reader can be certain that by no means
will the US just abandon their military footprint. The hunt for Kony was never
really about Kony.
Even the Establishment mouthpiece, the New York Times
acknowledges the goal as of now is to build a permanent presence and to
establish long-term institutions.
Trump's discounting of the policy is actually irrelevant, it
just marks a shift in presentation, not in actual strategy. The US has been
beefing up its presence in Africa since the Bush administration and is actively
involved in numerous countries. The escalation has come in the form of Pentagon
operations, diplomatic activities, intelligence and certainly in the form of
economics. Apart from Washington's favorite proxies, the US has utilised the
conflicts in the Central African Republic, Nigeria, Mali, Libya and Somalia to
expand its influence. And let's not forget South Sudan.
This is largely about resources, especially in the Eastern
Congo and it's about countering China. Even now there are the hints of a
mini-Cold War developing on the Africa continent through various proxies, moves
and counter-moves by the great powers. As usual France is also a factor,
sometimes friendly to Washington's interests at other times pursuing its own
policies even while irritating the United States.
It's also worthwhile to note that figures in Congress
associated with the Christian Right are also playing a part in this struggle.
The Christian political sector within the US has established strong ties with
the Church in Africa and many political leaders. They are playing their part to
shape US policy and funnel money into these causes. Don't be distracted by
little arguments and tiffs with regard to specific tactics and/or a particular
programme. You can be certain the policy and strategy as a whole marches on
regardless of who sits in the Oval Office.
On a related note one of the African leaders, Paul Kagame has
been in the news recently. After his recent re-election and consolidation of
power, his political enemies are now falling prey to his security services. His
behaviour were he someone like Recep Tayyip Erdogan would fall under harsh condemnation
by Western diplomatic and media institutions but because he's one of the
primary US proxies in the region, his actions, his dictatorial consolidation of
power, his persecution of political enemies and his regional warmongering all
get a pass. We might also include political murder but as is often the case,
absolute proof is often evasive.
Kagame is a favourite of the Christian Right and its African
agenda. Along with the leaders of Uganda, Zambia and South Sudan, Kagame's
Rwanda is at the forefront of the US and in particular the Christian Right's
agenda for Africa.
Pardon the cliché' but it's complicated and to grasp what's
happening Africa takes some time and effort. And even then it can be elusive.
Further reading:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.