Don’t Allow Trump’s Soldiers Into ‘Shithole’ Continent

A pan Africanist and Kwame Nkrumah Chair at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Professor Horace G. Campbell, has urged Ghanaians not to trust the US government over its decision to camp some of its military troops in Ghana.

According to Prof. Campbell, this should not be accepted by Ghanaians since to him, the US military troops are “racists” and its president, Donald Trump also looks down on Africans.

He said Ghanaians should hold their government responsible if permission is given to host the US troops.

“If the President of the United States of America called Africans a shithole country and the Ghana government will go and sign an agreement with such a government, then the Ghana people must act and say what kind of government do they have?”

“The US military has a history of racism against Africans… What we do know is that in the United States military, there is a division between black soldiers and white soldiers. If in the United States of America, black people are fighting for their lives and say Black lives matter, why do Africans think that, that military without being reformed will come to Africa to help Africa?”

Prof. Campbell made the remark on Friday in an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show when his views were sought on the row that greeted reports that Ghana's Cabinet had agreed to provide a US military troop a place near the Kotoka International Airport, and also give them unhindered access to some key installations.

The Memorandum of Understanding approved by Cabinet is currently before Parliament seeking ratification, but it has been rejected by the opposition in Parliament.

If ratified, the agreement will among other things exempt the US government from paying taxes on equipment that are brought to Ghana as well as use Ghana's radio spectrum for free. The troops and their equipment will also have unhindered access to the US forces and their equipment.

Although many Ghanaians have expressed resentment over the clauses of the agreement, the Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, said the agreement is in the best interest of Ghana.

US only seeking to legitimize its operation in Africa

But Professor Campbell observed that the US government is only seeking the agreement in order to legitimize its operation in Africa.

“The United States government predicates its relationship to Africa on fighting the war against terrorism. One cannot fight a war against terror. Terrorism is a tactic. The United States of America is [only] seeking legitimacy for its long term military operation,” he added.