19.11.2014 Views

L. Fituni, I. Abramova Resource Potential of Africa and Russia's ...

L. Fituni, I. Abramova Resource Potential of Africa and Russia's ...

L. Fituni, I. Abramova Resource Potential of Africa and Russia's ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

egional stability <strong>and</strong> security through improved security capability<br />

<strong>and</strong> military pr<strong>of</strong>essionalization. If directed by national comm<strong>and</strong><br />

authorities, its military operations would aim to deter aggression <strong>and</strong><br />

respond to crises. 28<br />

DOD signaled its intention to locate AFRICOM’s headquarters<br />

on the continent early in the planning process, but such a move is<br />

unlikely to take place for several years, if at all. Currently, the comm<strong>and</strong><br />

operates from Stuttgart, Germany. Though DOD has stressed<br />

that there are no plans to have a significant troop presence on the<br />

continent, a creeping infiltration <strong>of</strong> American military is, in reality,<br />

taking place.<br />

The U.S. have already established enduring infrastructure in <strong>Africa</strong>.<br />

At present, DOD’s Combined Joint Task Force – Horn <strong>of</strong> <strong>Africa</strong><br />

(CJTF – HOA) has a semipermanent troop presence at Camp<br />

Lemonier in Djibouti with more than 1,500 U.S. military <strong>and</strong> civilian<br />

personnel in residence. The U.S. military has signed a five year<br />

lease with the Djiboutian government for Lemonier, with the option<br />

to extend the lease for two more five– year terms. The comm<strong>and</strong><br />

authority for CJTF – HOA, formerly under CENTCOM, has been<br />

transferred to AFRICOM, <strong>and</strong> it will continue to be used as a Forward<br />

Operating Site. The U.S. military has access to a number <strong>of</strong><br />

foreign air bases <strong>and</strong> ports in <strong>Africa</strong> <strong>and</strong> has established “barebones”<br />

facilities maintained by local troops in several locations. The<br />

U.S. military used facilities in Kenya in the 1990s to support its intervention<br />

in Somalia <strong>and</strong> continues to use them today to support<br />

counterterrorism activities. DOD refers to these facilities as “lily<br />

pads,” or Cooperative Security Locations (CSLs), <strong>and</strong> currently has<br />

access to locations in Algeria, Botswana, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya,<br />

Mali, Namibia, Sao Tome <strong>and</strong> Principe, Sierra Leone, Tunisia,<br />

Ug<strong>and</strong>a, <strong>and</strong> Zambia.<br />

In the case <strong>of</strong> Camp Lemonier in Djibouti, a key military outpost<br />

<strong>and</strong> strategically important piece <strong>of</strong> real-estate in the Horn <strong>of</strong> <strong>Africa</strong>,<br />

precisely where the Red Sea meets the Gulf <strong>of</strong> Aden, the United<br />

States government entered into an agreement 29 with the government<br />

<strong>of</strong> Djibouti that has several striking features:<br />

– U.S. military personnel have diplomatic immunity.<br />

36

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!