What is the motive behind President Obama’s action to send troops to the central African nation of Uganda where anti-government rebels present no known security threat to the U.S.?
President Obama announced October 14, 2011 that he was dispatching 100 troops to Uganda to help African soldiers confront the brutal Lord Resistance Army led by Joseph Kony.
U.S. Ground Troops Sent To Africa For First Time Since 1993 Somalia debacle
The U.S. is sending ground forces into Africa for the first time since the "Black Hawk Down" incident in Somalia in 1993, when 18 US military personnel died in a failed attempt to capture a warlord.
“I have authorized a small number of combat equipped U.S. forces to deploy to central Africa to provide assistance to regional forces that are working toward the removal of Joseph Kony from the battlefield,” President Obama wrote in a letter to Congress in announcing the military deployment.
“I believe that deploying these U.S. Armed Forces furthers U.S. national security interests and foreign policy and will be a significant contribution toward counter-LRA efforts in central Africa,” President Obama explained.
President Obama said that for more than two decades, the LRA “has murdered, raped, and kidnapped tens of thousands of men, women, and children in central Africa.” Kony and his close aides have been wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) since 2005.
Upon closer examination, President Obama’s action appears to an extension of U.S. policy toward Africa that revolves around three major themes:
- Access to oil
- Counter Chinese influence in Africa
- Combat terrorism
Africa’s Oil Crucial to U.S. in Aftermath of 9/11
In the aftermath of 9/11, the U.S. has feared a nightmarish scenario of a terrorist attack on vital oil supplies in the Middle East. If the U.S. sought to reduce its dependence on Middle Eastern oil Africa would emerge as a key alternative supplier of oil.
U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) stated in 2002: “I think that African oil should be treated as a priority for U.S. national security post-9/11, and I think that post-9/11 it's occurred to all of us that our traditional sources of oil are not as secure as we once thought they were.”
Vast Oil Reserves Discovered in Uganda
President Obama is dispatching troops to Uganda at a time when the East African country is on the threshold of an oil boom. More than 2 billion barrels of oil reserves have recently been discovered in the Lake Albert Rift Basin in Uganda. In a few years, Uganda could be a major oil producer in Africa. Reuters reported on March 27, 2010 that some analysts predict Uganda could be producing around 150,000 barrels per day by 2015, making it one of the top 50 oil producers. Oil revenue could provide Uganda with some $2 billion per year.
The Rising Influence of China in Africa
It is no secret that China has been strengthening its grip on several oil rich African nations over the years. As China emerges as a major economic power, it has developed an unquenchable thirst for oil to fuel its rapid growth. Energy experts believe that if current trends continue, China will be the largest importer of African oil in the world. On May 14, 2010, the BBC reported that Nigeria and China signed a $23 billion deal to build three refineries in the West African country. Nigeria is the world's 12th-largest oil producer and the eighth-largest oil exporter.
While numerous foreign countries including the U.S. have been courting Uganda for oil deals, China is likely to be the biggest winner, according to a March 31, 2010 article in The Economist. China, along with Western partners, is seeking to build an oil refinery in Uganda.
U.S. Africa Command Established to help Combat Terrorism
The U.S. in 2008 inaugurated its Africa Command, which is responsible for coordinating American military affairs on the continent. AFRICOM has administrative responsibility for U.S. military support to U.S. government policy in Africa, including military-to-military relationships with 54 African nations.
Among AFRICOM’s objectives are to ensure that the al-Qaida networks and associated violent extremists do not attack the United States; Encourage African militaries to operate under civilian authority, respect the rule of law, abide by international human rights norms, and contribute to stability in their respective states. AFRICOM has generated controversy since it came into operation. Skeptics believe it was established to secure oil supplies and counter Chinese influence in Africa. AFRICOM remains headquartered in Germany, as most African nations have refused to host it. Camp Lemonier is the only U.S. military base located in Africa. The base is situated in the tiny East African nation of Djibouti.
President Obama needs to define precisely what U.S. national security interests will be furthered by sending troops to Uganda. The president will need to go before the American people and not hide behind a vague letter to Congress.
Sources:
Transcript of Institute for Advanced Strategic & Political Studies symposium (January 25, 2002) African Oil: A Priority for U. S. National Security and African Development
The Economist: March 31, 2010 Uganda's oil: A bonanza beckons
BBC News May 14, 2010 Nigeria and China sign $23 billion deal for three refineries
Bagh, Carl Reuters March 26, 2010 FACTBOX-Uganda's oil industry
Gary Raynaldo - I am a writer with more than 25 years of working experience as a journalist and editor for several newspapers and wire services in the ...
