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If the success of a summit was measured by the number of host country police and armies deployed to protect the heads of state from some twenty African countries, the 31st summit of the African Union in Mauritania must be considered a success.
A new and very expensive conference center, endless four-wheel drive vehicles that buzz around the city, a busy agenda and important topics – the creation of a free trade zone officially launched in March, debates on corruption, African Union – suggest an important meeting. However, the absence of many important state leaders – Egypt, South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, Morocco and Angola – adds a note of caution.
French President Emmanuel Macron visited Mauritania during the summit, but his goal was for the heads of state of the G5 Sahel countries who, together with France, hired troops and money to improve security in the Sahel.
A suicide attack on the G5 force headquarters in Mali before the summit reminded delegates that the security of the Saharan belt did not improve despite the considerable military efforts deployed by the French to roll back the attacks. The explosion of violence in Libya and Tunisia can only reinforce the fact that North West Africa is in a sad state.
Macron's visit was motivated by another consideration – trying to convince Africans to stay at home.
Despite the decline in the number of Africans trying to cross the Mediterranean towards Europe, the very issue of African migrants to Europe has produced a perfect storm in Europe and is the number one issue in the spirit of French and Italian voters. The failure of the European Union to find a common migration policy has fueled the emergence of populist parties across Europe happy to mix terrorism, immigration – illegal or not – and a wave of racism in their attempt to shut the door to Africa. 19659002] Some problems, however, are too delicate for an African summit: corruption, which absorbs every year huge amounts of money from the continent and the fact that migrants are not the poorest of Africans, rather than those who are educated
The secret wars of the United States in Africa simply do not arise: is the answer to Africa's problems simply "fighting terrorism" or is it necessary to he devote more effort and money to economic development? the rule of law? How can a continent grow if it loses a quarter of the wealth that it generates annually to the investment of its elites on other continents?
Secret programs in Washington allow US troops to conduct raids in Somalia, Kenya, Niger and other African countries. The Trump administration – like that of Barack Obama – allowed the US military to rely on partners in African countries to carry out missions against suspected terrorists, to avoid losses after years of mbadive participation and direct in Iraq and Afghanistan
. that African governments lend units of their armed forces to American commando teams to use them as substitutes to hunt militants identified as potential threats to US citizens and interests. It is rather that American commandos help African troops achieve their own goals, as do other US special operations teams in Africa.
As the Pentagon refuses to recognize the full nature of its mission in the Sahel, it is impossible to bademble the full extent of the US involvement. Annual funding for these programs in Africa is $ 100 million. The US Congress reauthorized the temporary authority each year until last year when legislators made it permanent.
Although US commanders are trying to prevent US troops from fighting directly, US policy illustrates the troubled nature of who's helping in Africa, say former Pentagon officials who have overseen anti-terrorism policies in Africa. North West Africa
Africa fractured, the fact that many conflicts are a complex overlay of tribal / political struggles for decades, smuggling weapons, cigarettes and cocaine, as well as the Conflicts arising from each great drought hardly suggest that it's an easy fight to win. What this suggests, however, is a huge slump of overlapping and not always informed decisions.
The French know at least the Sahel region for over a century, the United States no. The impression that some observers of the region have is leaking ahead without an exit strategy. Only time will tell.
Francis Ghiles is an badociate member of the Barcelona Center for International Affairs.
This article was published in The Arab Weekly.
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