The threat of or use of military force is the ultimate arbiter to quell unrest that threatens state stability or the safety of citizens, as seen in Nigeria, where the deployment of the army on internal security operations has increased dramatically since In all these instances, there are concerns about how effective it is in these roles. In South Africa, for now, the deployment of the army troops to assist the police has brought about an uneasy calm.
But what South Africans are seeing is a negative peace — where a degree of normality returns, but in which the underlying causes of the conflict remain. Read more: The army is being used to fight Cape Town's gangs. Why it's a bad idea.
The military may help create a more stable and secure environment, curb violence and unrest in the short term, but this is unlikely to result in a sustainable and lasting peace. The cultural and structural issues underlying the violence need to be addressed. These relate to the inequalities and injustices embedded in the structure of society. As seen in both Nigeria and South Africa, the military is typically not trained or equipped to deal with civil unrest and has limited experience in riot control.
One risk is that communities might deliberately act out in ways that provoke the soldiers , which could result in excessive use of force. This can affect trust in the military, affecting the legitimacy of the state. The typical Army Green Beret team is led by a captain, one whose experience is usually limited to running a unit of 12 special operators and maybe a few dozen more soldiers brought along as enablers.
The SFAB is going to have a forward battalion commander that has run a battalion. The brigade commander is a former brigade commander who has run a brigade. James B. Hecker, told Congress last winter. Section authorities were first passed in the defense budget. In December, they were extended through Scrambling for influence. Stephen J. The continent offers emerging markets, flush with booming populations and raw materials that could give China the next link in its own development chain.
Esper said late last month. China has a military presence in Djibouti, but so do many other countries. The port country is perched at the entrance to the Red Sea, where it watches over a significant portion of the trade flow between Europe and Asia. Djibouti has one of the largest concentrations of foreign military bases in the world. It is the single largest financier of African infrastructure. Staff Sgt. While China is mostly interested in economic influence for the time being, Russia appears more willing to commit combat forces, or at least mercenaries with strong connections back to the Kremlin.
Russian officials have been inking arms deals and security agreements across Africa in recent years. Chinese and U. Russia has also been involved in fighting terrorism, deploying roughly mercenaries to Mozambique to combat a growing ISIS offshoot there, according to the New York Times. In the Central African Republic, Russian firms have attained rights to explore for diamonds and gold. The four troops slain in an ambush earlier this month -- Sgt.
La David Johnson, Staff Sgt. Bryan Black, Staff Sgt. Jeremiah W. Johnson and Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright -- were in Niger to help the Nigerien government fight extremists. Defense Dept.
The U. But there are other motivations to establish military bases in Africa. These include protection of commercial interests, aligning with friendly regimes, and expressing dominance on a continent that is the focus of rising global competition. Of course, Africa is not the exception. The US, for example, also maintains a substantial military and security presence in the Gulf region.
For some observers it might seem like foreign governments are imposing their militaries on Africa, but, in fact, many African governments are keen to host them. Bilateral agreements with major powers generate income for African states. The presence of foreign military forces has also played a significant role in fighting terror groups.
These include groups like al-Shabaab in East Africa and jihadists in Mali. This explains why several African countries are willing to turn to foreign governments for advice, intelligence and support.
But there is a downside to the presence of foreign forces on the continent. For instance, the African security landscape has become overcrowded by a multiplicity of foreign security and military activities.
These activities often function at cross purposes. Its influence in Africa and the Indian Ocean has ruffled feathers within Japanese and Indian political and security circles. A Chinese monopoly could impede their engagement with the continent. Finally, African countries are not agreed on how to regulate foreign security and military activities.
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