
Since then China has maintained an anti-piracy naval presence in the Horn of Africa and Gulf of Aden. It has become more engaged since 2008 when it participated in the multinational anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden. China has been particularly active with its military presence in the Horn of Africa.

The presence of foreign military forces in Africa is not limited to Western powers. Its largest presence is in the Sahel, especially in the border zone linking Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. The country has more than 7,500 military personnel currently serving on the continent. Like the US, France has either deployed military forces or established bases in a number of African countries. American special forces operate across east Africa in so-called forward operation locations in Kenya and Somalia. In addition, 2,000 American soldiers are involved in training missions in 40 African countries. They are hosted in military outposts across the continent, including Uganda, South Sudan, Senegal, Niger, Gabon, Cameroon, Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These troops carry out joint operations with African forces against extremists or jihadists. Military base mappingĬurrently, the US has 7,000 military personnel on rotational deployment in Africa. These dynamics coincide with claims that Russian MiG-29 and Su-24 warplanes have now conducted missions in Libya in support of Kremlin-backed private military forces to extend Moscow’s influence in Africa. Northern Mozambique is the most recent case. Moreover, private military groups are active in several conflict zones on African soil. The US and France are at the forefront of conducting operations on African soil. Regardless, a host of bilateral agreements between AU member states and foreign powers underlie the spread of foreign military forces across the continent.Īt least 13 foreign powers have a substantial military presence on the continent. The AU is also concerned about its inability to monitor the movement of weapons to and from these military bases.


This is despite the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council’s ongoing concerns about the proliferation of foreign military bases on the continent. Several African governments are hosting foreign military bases.
