US Africa Command Launches Annual Military Exercise

Harriet Thompson (left), British High Commissioner to Ghana in discussion with participants of the Flintlock military exercise

From 1 March to 15 March, in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire , the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) launched its annual military exercise, code named Flintlock. The military exercise involved the participation of 15 African countries including Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroun, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Togo and Tunisia and 14 non-African countries including Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The Flintlock military exercise is part of the US strategy of tightening its colonial grip on Africa so as to facilitate the continent’s economic plunder by the US monopolies. However, the US markets its military exercise as a partnership with Africa aimed at “countering violent extremism”. In its statement on the Flintlock exercise, AFRICOM declared, “Flintlock intends to strengthen the ability of key partner nations in the region to counter violent extremist organizations, collaborate across borders, and provide security for their people, while respecting human rights and building trust with

civilian populations. The robust participation of African and international partners reflects a mutual commitment to countering malign activity and violent extremism throughout the Sahel and West Africa region. While regional security is the focus of the exercise, lessons learned at Flintlock will create lasting effects beyond North and West Africa”. In reality, it is the US and its NATO allies who are the malign actors not only in the sub-region but across the continent and who have been the main instigators of extremist violence since the days of colonialism.

The Flintlock military exercise is a mortal threat to peace and security for civilian populations throughout the Sahel and West Africa. It facilitates the deeper military intervention into Africa, not only have the US itself but of the old colonial powers, like the UK, France, Belgium and Germany which have a sordid history of carrying out extremist violence and committing crimes against Africa and her people.

No to the Flintlock military exercise!
Disband AFRICOM!
All foreign military bases and troops out of Africa!
End foreign intervention in Africa!