The United States recently announced that it is withdrawing hundreds of its troops in Africa. Most of these troops stationed in the region are focused on counter-terrorism operations. The North American superpower said that the decision to pull its troops was made as the country shifts its focus towards countering threats from China and Russia.
Earlier this year, the United States made the decision to put countering China and Russia as the top priority of its national defense strategy. According to many analysts, this is a sign that the country is shifting its military priorities away from fighting Islamist militants towards the new threat of Russia and China.
In a statement to the Reuters, Pentagon spokeswoman Candice Tresch said that the new realignment strategy will reduce the country's forces in the African region by about 10 percent and will be conducted within the next several years. She added that these represent just a fraction of the U.S' total personnel in Africa which numbers to about 7,000.
Tresch said that this realignment strategy will cut counter-terrorism activities in the region significantly. She added that countries like Libra, Somalia, and Djibouti are some of the hotbeds of terrorist activities, and with the realignment will remain largely untouched. Other parts of the region, especially West Africa will also suffer due to this strategy.
An anonymous U.S. official told Reuters that the reduction of troops will most likely take place within the next three years. The realignment will take out troops from Mali, Cameroon, and Kenya.
The United States plays a major role in countering terrorist activities on the African continent. The North American superpower has increased its military presence in the region last year following an ambush in Niger. The ambush was carried out by local affiliates of the Islamic State, and it claimed the lives of four U.S. soldiers.
Despite this dilemma, concerns in other parts of the world continue to brew. Most notable of which comes from rising superpower China and Russia. Russia, in particular, has started flexing its military might in Syria and Ukraine. As for China, the Asian superpower is asserting its military might in the South China Sea. The United States' decision to pull out some troops out of Africa came after reports claiming that China and Russia are also moving in Africa.
It is important to note that since 2014, Russia signed 19 military cooperation deals in Africa. Among the countries, Russia has signed with include Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe.
