American General Sees Opportunities for US Forces in Africa

Photo: Charles Brown

The American military presence in Africa will be a key topic of the conference with the participation of the top US military officer and the chiefs of staff of the continent's armed forces.

The head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Brown, arrived in Botswana on Monday, June 24.

In a conversation with reporters in Gaborone, Brown recalled that the United States was withdrawing 1,000 troops from Niger, including from an important base for combating terrorism and deploying drones.

However, At the same time, he said, other West African countries want to work with the United States and may be open to expanding the American presence.

Brown said the conference will give him the opportunity to communicate with some African colleagues and learn about their goals and concerns, reports  Associated Press agency.

"There are other countries in the region where we either have a small presence or maintain relationships, – Brown stated. – As part of this effort, we are exploring opportunities to develop these relationships, which may enable us to place some of the capabilities that we had in Niger in some of these places.”.

The United States needs dialogue with these countries to understand the type and size of U.S. military presence they would like to see.

"That's why this conference is important,", – he added.

Prepared by: Sergey Daga