Does US really care about Africa's security?

美国真的关心非洲的安全吗?

Source
China Military Online
Editor
Wang Xinjuan
Time
2022-05-13 23:01:54

王忠奎、罗哲怡、曹旸

By Wang Zhongkui, Luo Zheyi, Cao Yang

美国陆军欧洲非洲司令部于2022年3月21日至25日在美国乔治亚州哥伦布市的本宁堡基地举办第十届非洲陆军峰会,40多个非洲国家陆军司令参与了此次会议。

The US Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) held the 10th African Land Forces Summit (ALFS) at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, US from March 21 to 25, with senior military officials from more than 40 African nations attended.

在前九届峰会中,除第一届在美国本土举行和第九届因为疫情线上举行之外,其余均在尼日利亚、马拉维、博茨瓦纳、埃塞俄比亚等不同的非洲国家举办,下一届非洲陆军峰会将于2023年在科特迪瓦举行。本次峰会的主题是“有弹性的机构造就有弹性的领导人”,旨在讨论非洲的安全挑战和加强美国与非洲国家的伙伴关系。本次峰会重新回到美国本土,除了全体会议和参观训练之外,还专门安排了较多美国陆军与非洲国家陆军之间的公开对话和私下交流。

Except for the first summit held in the US and the ninth held online because of the pandemic, all other previous ALFSs were held in African countries, such as Nigeria, Malawi, Botswana, and Ethiopia, and the next one in 2023 will be held in Cote d'Ivoire. Themed "resilient institutions build resilient leaders", this year's summit was poised to discuss Africa's security challenges and strengthen the partnership between the US and African countries. Hosted by the US, the event arranged plenty of open dialogues and private exchanges between American and African army officers in addition to the general assembly and training demonstrations.

分析美国陆军举办此次峰会,主要目的应该有三个。

The US Army held this summit mainly for three purposes.

一是搞好关系,确保所谓的“战略准入”。美国陆军高度重视与非洲的伙伴关系,希望加强已有的伙伴关系并扩大新的伙伴关系。在这方面,本次会议与非洲军队高官峰会、空军司令峰会、高级士官年会、军事法律顾问年会、曾在美留学的非洲军官校友会等会议一样,都是为了实现在非洲拉拢巩固朋友圈的目标,以便对在非洲各国军队的人脉资源进行盘点和利用。美国陆军欧洲非洲司令部下辖的南欧特遣部队司令安德鲁•罗林少将表示,美陆军旨在通过此次活动,加强与关键领导人互动,推进在非洲的战略准入和影响力,并争取建立更多牢固关系。

First, it wants to be on good terms with African countries to ensure the "strategic access". The US Army attaches great importance to the partnership with Africa, hoping to fortify the existing relations and bring in new partners. Like the African Chiefs of Defence Conference, African Air Chiefs Symposium Africa Senior Enlisted Leader Conference African Military Law Forum Advisory Council and African alumni of US Army professional military education programs, the ALFS is yet another activity to rope in partners and enlarge the circle of friends in Africa, so the US can take stock of and make use of its resources and connections in African militaries. Maj. Gen. Andrew Rohling, commander of the US Army Southern European Task Force-Africa (SETAF-AF) under the USAREUR-AF, said the Army hoped to tighten the interactions with key leaders through the summit, enhance its "strategic access" and influence in Africa, and build more firm relationships.

二是炫耀力量。美军《星条旗报》对此次峰会报道的标题,赫然就是“美国就是力量”。会议期间,参观美军训练和实弹射击占了峰会的一多半时间,在本宁堡演习中心,美国陆军精锐尽出,各种先进武器装备先后登场,炫耀力量的意图可见一斑。

Second, it wants to flaunt its strengths. American newspaper Stars and Stripes titled its coverage of the event directly as "America is Power". More than half of the time during the summit was demonstrations of American soldiers' training and live-fire shooting, and the US Army brought out all kinds of advanced weapons and equipment at Fort Benning exercise center to show off what it is capable of.

与此相伴,第三个目标就显得非常微妙。在为非洲军官提供近距离观察的机会和展示火力的同时,美国陆军还传达了一个微妙的信息,希望非洲军队不要与中国和俄罗斯合作。这可以说是今年美非陆军峰会的主旨之一。罗林称,中国在非洲的影响力主要集中在经济方面,俄罗斯仅在几个非洲国家大幅增加了雇佣军的存在,而美军则专注于为非洲国家提供加强安全的最佳方案。他特别希望整个非洲大陆对安全部队援助旅士兵的要求都能有所增加。

The third goal is a bit subtle. While providing African military chiefs the opportunity to observe at close range and showing off its arsenal, the US Army was also subtly conveying the wish for their African guests not to work with China or Russia, which was really one of the key messages of this year's summit. According to Rohling, the Chinese have largely focused their influence efforts in Africa on economic initiatives, Russia has dramatically increased its presence with mercenary fighters in several African nations; the US troops, in contrast, focus on providing Africa what they believe to be the "best possible package to strengthen security ties". He said he especially expected to field upticks in requests for Security Force Assistance Brigade soldiers across the continent.

罗林这么说的时候,不知是否注意到一个问题。那就是,与此前的峰会相比,此次峰会有几个非洲国家缺席。据美军《陆军时报》专报,除了2020年非洲陆军峰会的东道国埃塞俄比亚没有收到邀请,马里和几内亚也被美国拒之门外,因为受过美军培训的军官发动政变推翻了民选政府。马里的阿西米•戈伊塔上校接受过美国特种部队培训,不到一年时间发动两次政变。几内亚的马马迪•敦布亚上校至少参加了12次美军举办的培训活动。更令美国尴尬的是,自2021年7月起,在几内亚发动政变的特种部队一直在接受美国陆军绿色贝雷帽特种部队的培训,敦布亚上校更是在培训期间发动了政变,占领国家广播电视台,宣布扣押孔戴总统,废除宪法、解散政府、关闭边境,成立全国团结和发展委员会并接管权力。

While saying all these, did Rohling notice that several African countries that used to participate in the summit were absent this year? American military's Army Times reported that Ethiopia, the host country of the summit in 2020, wasn't invited this year, and Mali and Guinea were also kept out because their American-trained military officers waged coups to overthrow the elected governments. Colonel Assimi Goita, who was trained by the US special operations forces, launched two coups in less than a year, while Guinea's Colonel Mamady Doumbouya received the US military training at least twelve times. What's more embarrassing is that since July 2021, the coup-waging special operations forces in Guinea have been receiving training from the "Green Berets", the US Army Special Forces, and Doumbouya even started the coup during the training. He occupied the national radio and TV station, detained President Alpha Conde, abolished the Constitution, dissolved the government, closed off borders, and formed the National Committee for Rally and Development (CNRD) to take over power.

根据美国学者Nick Turse统计,自2008年以来受过美国培训的军官在五个西非国家尝试了至少9次政变(并至少在8次政变中取得成功),包括布基纳法索(3 次)、几内亚、马里(3 次)、毛里塔尼亚和冈比亚。美国培训的毕业生最近发动的4次政变分别发生在布基纳法索(2022 年)、几内亚(2021 年)和马里(2020 年和 2021 年)。

According to the statistics by American scholar Nick Turse, military officers who have received training from the US since 2008 have attempted at least nine coups (and succeeded in at least eight) across five West African countries, including Burkina Faso (three times), Guinea, Mali (three times), Mauritania, and Gambia. The latest four coups launched by America-trained officers were in Burkina Faso (2022), Guinea (2021), and Mali (2020 and 2021).

911事件之后的20年时间里,美国在非洲实施了为数众多的反恐和安全合作计划,提供了源源不断的资金、武器、设备和美国顾问,甚至动用部队直接出手试图挫败伊斯兰极端组织在西非的崛起,但却陷入了越反越恐的怪圈。根据美国国防部非洲战略研究中心今年1月24日发布的一份研究报告,“与萨赫勒地区伊斯兰极端组织有关的暴力事件每年增加70%,创下暴力袭击的新纪录。与伊斯兰极端组织有关的暴力事件在萨赫勒地区从1180起增加到2005起,增长了70%,该地区安全威胁迅速升级日益严峻。”

During the 20 years after the 9/11 attacks, the US has carried out a string of anti-terror and security cooperation programs in Africa, provided ceaseless capital, weapons, equipment and advisors, and sent its troops directly to curb the rise of the Islamic State group in West Africa, only to find itself facing even more terrorist forces. According to a report released by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies of the Pentagon on January 24 this year, the number of violent events related to militant Islamic groups had increased by 70% from 1,180 to 2,005 in the Sahel, setting a new record and escalating the threats to regional security.

美国的反恐努力未能阻止西非的伊斯兰极端主义浪潮,美国培训的军官频频发动政变,难道这就是“美军专注于为非洲国家提供加强安全的最佳方案”?

Washington's anti-terror efforts have failed to contain the surge of Islamic extremism in West Africa, and US-trained military officers are constantly waging coups. Is that the "best possible package" that the US military is so eager to offer the African countries?

Editor's note: The authors are with the National University of Defense Technology of Chinese PLA. The article reflects the authors' opinions and not necessarily those of China Military.

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