Since the second quarter of this year, the US authorities have been showing signs of wanting to set up a military base in Ivory Coast. This follows the closure of the two US military bases in Niger by the President of the Niger transition, Abdourahamane Tiani.
News of the Pentagon setting up military bases in the land of African elephants is worrying countries in the region, particularly Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, which now form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). In Ivory Coast, to understand national opinion, a micro-test was organized. Ivorians expressed their views on the subject.
English teacher Pondo Kouamé Franck Olivier, speaking at the event, expressed his concern about the future of Côte d’Ivoire: “I think we have our own army here, but this new American army that will be moving in raises so many questions. What is the main objective and why now? As citizens, we have a duty to know the purpose of this cooperation. The authorities’ decision could have a particular impact on our country. We want to know exactly what this is all about”, said the professor.
Ivory Coast is a stable country with no terrorist threat. According to some military officials, a military base is justified by the geopolitical and security context of the host country.
Some Ivorians are unhappy about the said installation of an American base on their soil, like Mr Kiassi, who was quick to send a clear message: “Personally, I’m against this, I think we’re an independent and sovereign state. I would say that it’s not normal for other countries, especially Western countries, to come and set up military bases in our country because we don’t have any bases there. There must at least be respect on that side. American bases will hamper our political freedom. Our governments must know how to assume their responsibilities in the fight against terrorism. Foreigners can come with us, but they must not come to settle. We know full well that when they set foot in a country, there are many things lurking in the background. With what we’ve seen in the past, we don’t want any more bases”.
Although the local authorities in Ivory Coast have not yet made official this information concerning the installation of a Pentagon military base, media reports had indicated that it was the town of Odienné, in the north-west of Côte d’Ivoire, that had been chosen to house the contingent of American armed forces coming from Niger.
When questioned about this affair, which continues to cause a stir, Téné Birahima, the Ivorian Defense Minister, neither denied nor confirmed. Instead, he said that he was “not aware of any ongoing negotiations on this matter”.
Despite the recent concerns expressed by the Niger authorities about the presence of French troops in Benin, who are accused of being a nuisance in the deteriorating security situation in Niger, the Ivorian government seems to be ignoring requests from neighboring countries such as Burkina Faso and Mali, which do not want Westerners on their borders.
The presence of foreign military bases often results in an infringement of a host country’s sovereignty, raising concerns about decision-making autonomy. So why did the Ivorian authorities agree to the establishment of a Washington military base on their soil?
The American motives are manifold. Taking into account the security situation in Côte d’Ivoire, it is certain that the aim is not in the security field. Uncle Sam’s country, which has just been expelled from Niger, wants to continue to control the region, so that other reliable partners do not come and support the Sahel countries in their fight against terrorism.
The Ivorian government should take account of the deteriorating regional political situation that is looming on the horizon by agreeing to the installation of an American military base. Instead of receiving foreign troops, Ivory Coast needs to be provided with regular army equipment to deal with the future threat of terrorism.
