US, Britain behind secret Kenyan war

SPOOKS: CIA SETS UP BASES IN EAST AFRICA – REPORT

AU worries about movement of weapons in military bases.

Recent media reports claim a covert Kenyan paramilitary team is responsible for the unconstitutional killing of terror suspects in nighttime raids.

The reports are based on interviews with US and Kenyan diplomatic and intelligence officials.

The team was trained, armed and supported by US and British intelligence officers.

It has been reported that since 2004, a Central Intelligence Agency

(CIA) programme has been operational in Kenya.

Several African governments are hosting foreign military bases – despite the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council’s concerns about the proliferation of foreign military bases.

The AU is also concerned about its inability to monitor the movement of weapons to and from these bases. Regardless, a host of bilateral agreements between AU member states and foreign powers underlie the spread of foreign military forces across the continent.

At least 13 foreign powers have a substantial military presence on the continent. The US and France are at the forefront of conducting operations on African soil.

The US has 7 000 military personnel on deployment in Africa. They are hosted in military outposts across the continent, including Uganda, South Sudan, Senegal, Niger, Gabon, Cameroon and Burkina Faso.

France has either deployed military forces or established bases in a several countries.

However, this is not limited to Western powers. China has been active with its military presence in the Horn of Africa.

It might seem as though foreign governments are imposing their militaries on Africa but, in fact, many African governments are keen to host them. As long as these shortcomings exist in Africa’s response to armed conflict, foreign militaries and intelligence services will continue to operate on the continent.

Theo Neethling is professor of political science at the University of the Free State