Away with foreign military bases and foreign troops in Africa

There is almost no African country (especially Francophone Africa) without the presence of foreign troops or these funny military bases said to have been built based on bilateral relations and protection. I wonder how many military bases we have in Europe, America etc.

As part of tightening the grip on Africa, which has been auctioned to imperialists by the neo colonial ruling aristocratic class, is the authorisation by these regimes most of whose legality and legitimacy is highly questioned, to allow foreign troops station in the various countries in the continent.

For God sake, most people cannot just comprehend why troops meant to defend their various nations and citizens are shipped or flown to another country and stationed there.

The usual flimsy excuses are that they want to protect their citizens or interests abroad.

What interests and which citizens?

So any country with its interests or citizens abroad should fly and station troops in those countries? No right thinking sovereign leaders will accept foreign troops in their land, nor will their people do even they were to be consulted.

BBC news recently reported that the French government “quietly” flew in paratroopers to Gabon in January [2009]. Of course, France has a military base in Gabon and other parts of Africa. They have oil and other trade deals there and with time winding for Africa’s longest serving president Omar Bongo, there is the fear of uncertainty. As a result, they have to station their troops there.

This is the same in Cameroon where French troops are equally present and said to be “helping” Cameroonian forces.

Most Cameroonians certainly do not want colonial troops in their land. This should not be interpreted as meaning ending collaboration with France, though some may still want it that way.

This goes the same for Cote D ‘Ivoire and we know what the colonial troops did on Ivoirians when they protested against their presence. Several unarmed people were killed.

Once more for God sake, let troops stay within their territorial borders and protect their citizens.

In essence, foreign troops are not there for the protection other citizens but as part of the ongoing neo-colonisation process. France is not alone though.

These troops are also said to be in Afrca to among other things protect expatriates. Hhmm. Some of these so-called expatriates operate and behave almost as if they are their in own country/different state with terrible and very disrespecting utterances at times. A state cannot not exist within a state.

Some, especially ambassadors tend to substitute themselves for what I do not know.

Some of these colonial troops arm rebels in different countries push the rebels to rise against government rule then they come in as mediators or a peacekeeping forces or forces clearly supporting a particular side.

These troops have brought no changes on the lives of the people, on the contrary, they have instilled fear, uncertainty and above all, a renewed a sense of confidence and courage for the leaders who are also hosts of the troops to loot their countries.

Africa desperately needs leaders who will think about their people, not a colonial- relay type of leaders whose only wisdom is in starching state funds in foreign banks and seeking protection of foreign troops to protect their interest in the country.

In my opinion, foreign troops should only be station on temporal basis where there is war and if the stationing of any such troops will aggravate the situation, then foreign troops should not even go there.

Regional troops can be tolerated to an extend but allowing troops from another continent is really funny.