Africa

L’Institut d’Etudes et de Sécurité a mené des enquêtes sur le phénomène dans les quatre départements du nord Bénin et a dévoilé les résultats de ses investigations mercredi à Cotonou.

Les groupes jihadistes qui attaquent le nord du Bénin bénéficient de la complicité des réseaux de trafiquants qui opèrent depuis de longues années dans cette partie du pays. C’est un rapport de l’Institut d’Etudes de Sécurité (ISS) qui le révèle.

«Les fondements historiques de la France en Afrique ont été ébranlés», ont rapporté certains journaux français dernièrement. Ils se sont penchés sur les récents coups d’État successifs dans les pays africains, alliés de Paris. La presse française a abordé le coup d’État qui a conduit au renversement au Gabon. Or, Le Figaro écrit que la diplomatie française a perdu son équilibre à cause de l’épidémie de coups d’État en Afrique. La Croix a souligné qu’«avec le Gabon, c’est un pilier historique de la France en Afrique qui vacille». Le Point a précisé que la France a manqué la «mondialisation de l’Afrique» à travers les coups d’État.

The so-called “coup belt” in Africa, which includes almost all the countries of the Sahel, are in confrontation with the Economic Community of West African States. There are also a myriad of Al-Qaeda and Daesh groups operating in the region. This violence feeds into the flow of displaced persons and migration flow. To their north is Libya, a principal point of impact, and beyond Europe. This fact is not a new message, but there is a new urgency.

Army Maj. Gen. Todd Wasmund’s first Africa-focused assignment came a decade ago at the Pentagon, where the aftermath of the Benghazi terrorist attack loomed over a military mission in flux.

The 2012 assault on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Libya began on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by al-Qaida and ended in the deaths of four people, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya and two former Navy SEALs.

Key points

Due to an overly broad definition of threat, the United States currently commits far too many military resources to counterterrorism, especially in Africa.

The United States is pursuing military action against at least thirteen terrorist groups in Africa, but only one of those groups has the “global reach” to be a threat to Americans. Consequently, the U.S. military is fighting a slew of counterinsurgency—not counterterrorism—wars in Africa today, a strategy that borders on nation-building.

Africa is on the boil once again. The rule by the ballot box is being replaced with the rule of the gun. The military is no longer content to remain in the barracks but has chosen to be at the steering wheel of power, driving the politicians away from the public arena into infamy and political obscurity. From West Africa, especially the Sahel, down to Central Africa, and Northeast Africa, the military has seized power sending dictators out of business.

In many ways, the Sahel today is at the forefront of major natural experiments to determine how mankind will adapt to climate change, technological innovation, global population movement and the restructuring of world politics, urbanization, social change and rapid population growth, as well as inter-religious contact.

Les analyses du géopouvoir revêtent une importance capitale, car la plupart des gouvernements disposent d’équipes spécialisées dans l’étude approfondie des idées avancées, des voies possibles et du pronostic des événements, jusqu’à montrer de nouveaux points de conflit insoupçonnés, tout cela dans le but d’organiser la politique étrangère et intérieure de leurs nations.

Generally speaking the month of August is seen as being tranquil. This is the month when most Europeans go on vacation, The US Congress is in recess as well. Therefore we get the impression that people are taking their final break over a summer.