According to sources, the United States is preparing to provide an economic and security assistance plan to Gabon in order to prevent China from establishing a military presence in this Central African country.
The deal, as revealed to Bloomberg by insiders, involves assisting in training Gabon’s special forces and providing $5 million in funding for democratic transition.
In recent years, the U.S. has been striving to weaken China’s influence in Africa. American officials have stated that China is attempting to set up military training facilities in Gabon, which could be a precursor to establishing a permanent base. Gabon’s position facing the Atlantic Ocean holds significant strategic importance in the competition between the U.S. and China.
The United States has long considered the Atlantic as a strategic forefront and believes that if China were to establish a permanent military presence along the Atlantic coast, it could pose a significant threat to U.S. security. In recent years, the U.S. has been working hard to persuade African leaders not to allow the Chinese navy to be stationed in ports along the Atlantic waters.
A report from the Pentagon in 2023 listed 18 countries where China might consider as locations for “military logistics facilities”.
Sources indicate that Gabon’s interim president, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, is scheduled to visit the U.S. at the end of September or early October when the aid plan will be publicly unveiled.
The plan also includes providing radar to help Gabon monitor illegal fishing activities, expanding cooperation with the West Virginia National Guard, and assisting in protecting Gabon’s national parks.
In response to the news, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council stated that the U.S. foreign policy is not directed at any single country and added that the U.S. has cooperation with Gabon on issues related to democracy, security, and economics.
Spokespersons for the Gabonese government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined requests for comments from Bloomberg. Requests for comments from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of National Defense went unanswered.
In July this year, during a meeting between U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and President Nguema, a warning was issued that any Chinese military training facilities could potentially become a more enduring presence.
The country of Djibouti in East Africa serves as a precedent for this situation.
On August 1, 2017, China opened its Djibouti base under the guise of “logistics support”. However, military analysts believe that based on the military capabilities observed at the base, it is essentially a standard “military base” raising global concerns.
Analysts caution that the base not only meets the logistical needs for executing escort missions in the Gulf of Aden but also allows the projection of power from the base, impacting regional strategic interests and security.
Deputy Director of the CIA, David Cohen, in an interview with Bloomberg, stated: “What has happened in Djibouti is that China came and said we just want to establish a logistical facility here.”
“It has evolved into a quite substantial naval facility with a permanent presence of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, leaving the Djiboutian people marginalized from their own territory,” Cohen said.
Djibouti is strategically located at the mouth of the Red Sea adjacent to the Mandab Strait, a crucial waterway for global trade flows. The U.S., France, Japan, and other nations also have bases in Djibouti.
Sources mentioned that Campbell informed Nguema that a similar pattern has emerged in Cambodia, where China has established a naval presence. Nguema assured Campbell that Gabon would not follow the same path.