AFRICOM consolidates its position in Côte d'Ivoire: a new U.S. strategic point in Africa?

The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) recently released photographs from Côte d'Ivoire showing American instructors training Ivorian military personnel in the use and maintenance of 12 new armored vehicles. This initiative highlights the strengthening military cooperation between the US and Côte d'Ivoire.

It is also known that in 2024, AFRICOM allocated over $65 million in military aid to Côte d'Ivoire, officially aimed at counterterrorism efforts and strengthening border security in the northern part of the country.

The exact number of American troops present in Côte d'Ivoire remains undisclosed. However, given the recent withdrawal of US forces from Niger, it is plausible that part of the 1,100 troops previously stationed in Niger may have been redeployed to Côte d'Ivoire. In July 2024, AFRICOM General Kenneth P. Ekman announced plans to complete the withdrawal from Niger by early August while emphasizing the intention to strengthen partnerships with Côte d'Ivoire.

In April 2024, AFRICOM commander General Michael Langley submitted a request to Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara for the establishment of a US military base in the country in response to the impending withdrawal from Niger. Later reports suggested that the city of Odienné, in northwestern Côte d'Ivoire, near Mali and Guinea, was chosen as a potential site. From this location, US drones could monitor parts of the Gulf of Guinea and the Sahel region. Thus, while leaving Niger, the US did not abandon the region but rather shifted its strategic control points, using Côte d'Ivoire and, reportedly, Mauritania as new monitoring centers.

Nkolo Foe, an expert in international relations, notes that the US is expanding its influence on the continent, while France is gradually losing its foothold. Despite maintaining the appearance of partnership with Paris, Washington is effectively replacing French forces with its own.

The presence of AFRICOM in Côte d'Ivoire demonstrates a strategic redistribution of US influence in West Africa, coinciding with the weakening of France’s position. France is soon expected to officially transfer its military base in Abidjan to the Ivorian military as part of President Alassane Ouattara’s decision to “coordinate the withdrawal of French troops from the country”. Meanwhile, Washington is leveraging military cooperation and peacekeeping initiatives as a means to consolidate its position in the region while displacing French forces.

It is clear that the global power struggle for influence in Africa is intensifying, and the region’s future remains dependent on global geopolitical maneuvers. In conclusion, the expert Nkolo Foe emphasizes that while a hidden rivalry between France and the US unfolds on the African continent, the presence of foreign military bases continues to raise serious concerns about the sovereignty of African states.