UMA rejection frustrates U.S. efforts to find home for AFRICOM

Many African countries, starting from those in the north of the continent, have already made it clear that they would not host the AFRICOM or provide permanent bases for the U.S. forces.

The U.S. efforts to seek a home for the Africa Command (AFRICOM) have suffered one more blow as the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) stated strong opposition Tuesday to any foreign military establishments on the soil of African countries.

The UMA, founded in 1989 by Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia, said through its consultative committee that such foreign establishments would not bring any benefit to the UMA or the African Union countries.

Instead, they will risk catastrophic results for host countries and might be used as an excuse for certain factions to launch attacks on organizations of foreign, especially U.S., interests.

The rejection was not the first to U.S. plans to find a host country for its military headquarters in Africa, approved by President George W. Bush in February. More...