On December 9, 2020, the United States’ coordinator for counterterrorism Nathan Sales announced that Washington was “seriously interested” in a partnership with Mozambique to stop armed groups in Cabo Delgado province, “strengthening our friendship while together we face the challenge of terrorism”.
BY OWN CORRESPONDENT
No doubt, Mozambique needs urgent help to deal with the Islamists, who terrorise the population in the north of the republic.
But whether they really need American help and why Washington decided to intervene in Mozambican affairs is something that needs some reflection. Even some years ago, US officials allegedly expressed interest in setting up a military base in Nacala, in the northern part of Mozambique and Washington has never hidden its geopolitical interests in that country because of its strategic position in the Indian Ocean.
Moreso, US-based oil and gas giant corporation Exxon Mobil has a huge natural gas exploration project in Cabo Delgado province.
And the Americans have always defended and will defend their economic interests with the use of the armed forces.
At the same time, the interest shown by the US in Mozambique fits not only as the global war against terrorism, but as the defence of Washington’s political, economic and military interests.
Americans are getting involved in military conflicts almost all over the world. In Washington, they talked about 177 countries where the American military is present. Positioning their activities as peacekeeping, they strengthen their military presence in various regions, create military bases in different countries, and deploy military contingents. And then they stay there forever.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
They create puppet governments and, under the pretext of developing democracy, dictate to the world how to live. They break centuries-old traditions and inculcate theirs, as it seems to them, correct values.
So, in November 2020, the American administration announced a reduction in the number of its military contingent in Afghanistan from 4,000 to 2,500 troops, and in Iraq from 3,000 to 2,500 soldiers.
But there is no talk of a complete withdrawal of troops from these countries. Moreover, the Pentagon is expected to strengthen groups in other countries in the Middle East since control over this region is a priority in the foreign policy of the White House.
But did the US succeed in reducing the terrorist threat by invading Afghanistan 19 years ago?
Did the aggression against Iraq committed 17 years ago and its subsequent collapse – contribute to the cause of peace or led to hundreds of thousands of deaths and a whole chain of wars in the Middle East?
The war in Afghanistan is the longest in US history. US troops invaded the country in 2001, shortly after 9/11 attacks. For 19 years of hostilities, the Americans lost more than 2300 soldiers killed and about 20 000 were injured.
Hundreds of Afghans are killed in botched air strikes every year.
So, in 2019, the Pentagon recognised more than a hundred civilian victims. However, according to analysts, the official data is far from reality: the number of deaths is much higher.
Numerous American instructors have failed to properly prepare the Afghan army to fight terrorism.
Although the country is supplied with weapons and billions of dollars worth of equipment, built dozens of training bases, Afghans were never taught how to fight. Their losses are colossal: over the past five years, more than 10 000 soldiers and officers were killed.
The situation is no better in Iraq, where the Americans invaded in 2003 under the pretext of destroying chemical weapons.Washington then accused President Saddam Hussein of supporting al-Qaeda terrorists.
The Western coalition finished off the Iraqi army in just a month. No chemical weapons were found, but a hunt was announced for Hussein. After the ousted Iraqi president was caught, he was hanged.
It would seem that the goals had been achieved. However, everything was just beginning.
The country plunged into a brutal religious civil war. Because of the disagreements between Shiites and Sunnis, bloodshed began, tens of thousands of civilians died. In response to the strengthening of the US military presence, local insurgents became more active – they fired at American targets, shot down helicopters and staged terrorist attacks. And the inhabitants of Iraqi cities died in their thousands.
In fact, Iraq has turned into another hot spot. According to various estimates, from 200 000 to 300 000 people died in the country during the years of the American occupation. As a result, the Americans failed to make the Middle East region stable and cope with many terrorist groups.
Their so-called peacekeeping activities have led to even greater chaos, destabilisation of the situation and bloodshed.
The situation is no better in African countries, which the Americans invaded with their military assistance. And this is about 20 states where the United States has carried out or is conducting up to 40 different operations.
Among them are states such as Somalia, Niger, Nigeria, Libya, South Sudan, DRC, Mali and others. But has the situation changed in these states? The answer is a straight no. In most cases, it just keeps getting worse.
Therefore, the question of the expediency of US participation in the fight against Islamists in Mozambique remains in doubt.
As seen in the example of other countries, the military presence of the Americans only destabilises the situation, leads to the escalation of crises, and often to the overthrow of legitimate leaders and governments unwanted by the White House.
In addition, if American soldiers arrive on Mozambican soil, they will become tasty targets for terrorists.
As a result, other terrorist organisations from Africa and the Middle East will immediately join the Ahlu Sunnah Wa Jama group already operating in Cabo Delgado province. This will further worsen the situation in Mozambique and may turn it into a second Somalia.
And there is no doubt that the main task of the Americans will not be to fight extremists, but to ensure a military presence and protect their own gas projects in northern Mozambique.
Therefore, Africa should fund its own security operations with regional blocs dealing with growing threats of terrorism and cross-border crime, rather than rely on external forces funding and fuelling conflict on the continent for their n -colonial interests as Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa said during the 14th extraordinary African Union summit.
The only right decision is for the countries of the region without looking back to the West to jointly fight the Islamists in Mozambique, making decisions and concrete actions within the Sadc and the African Union.
