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Momodou
Denmark
11524 Posts |
 Posted - 02 Nov 2022 : 18:43:52
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OBSERVATIONS ON THE RECENT DISCOVERY OF THE COVERT PURCHASE OF ARMS AND AMMUNITIONS PURPORTED FOR SENEGALESE FOREST RANGERS!
Should the sub-region be concerned with reporting in the Senegalese press the recent discovery of the covert weapons purchase of $77 million worth of assault rifles, semi-automatic pistols, ammunition, and other weapons from a little-known local firm that had only been set up a couple of months earlier by a Nigerian national Aboubakar Hima, who has been accused of skimming off the top of inflated arms deals, and sometimes not even delivering weapons at all?
Is it only a case of corruption or a case of conspiracy to support Militias within Senegal which has the potential of a spillover effect of arms reaching other radicalised groups and destabilising the sub-region further?
The potential for financial corruption is very glaring. My main focus is analysing the threat posed by the proliferation of arms and ammunition getting into the hands of political Militias or Radical groups within Senegambia and the wider sub-region.
Why would forest rangers be required to order $77 million worth of arms and ammunition when they don’t have the operational needs or the capacity to maintain the consignment of arms?
A part of the Senegalese military operations’ assignments and counter-insurgency strategy is handling the resource mobilisations of Southern Senegalese rebels' activity in logging timber and smuggling cannabis and effectively taking over most of the responsibilities of the forestry rangers. Which leads experts to question whether the Environment Ministry should have signed such a large and secretive weapons contract. There are so many other measures the government could apply to control the activities of illegal logging
Why did the president allow only the environment and finance minister to sign contracts covering various materials and services, from guns and ammunition to boats, pick-up trucks, cars, uniforms, and even drone training courses, without involving the Armed Forces ministry or other security services?
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Senegal is one of Africa’s most stable democratic nations, with a vibrant economy that will supply most of the demand for Gas to the European Union. Still, most importantly, its security helps to guarantee peace over her boundaries, and its destabilisation will have a far-reaching effect on the stability of neighbouring nations.
In the past decade, corruption has worsened in Senegal, especially with the administration of Macky Sall with the drilling of oil and gas, making the corruption situation worse.
President Sall might have a fear of prosecution due to mainly his administration's corrupt practices involving his family member. With the vast potential of wealth derived from the uplifting of Oil and Gas, their greed to accumulate more might incentivise him to try to run for a third term of office.
His third-term ambition has been a contended political topic leading him to abandon most of
his allies, bribing his political opponents or ruthlessly poaching the rest of them, sending them to prison, causing a lot of political unrest and significant demonstrations resulting in the loss of lives. Still, President Sall isn’t relenting on his ambition to stay in power as he’s pursuing imprisoning his biggest opponent ( Ousman Sonko), the present leader of the opposition.
France, the colonial master of Senegal, significantly influences President Sall and his administration, benefitting France’s strategic interest. Additionally, Senegal represents France's influence on other African countries, especially the Anglophone nations; if the opposition leader Ousman Sonko should win the coming elections, it will be against Frances's strategic interest in Senegal and the sub-region as his Pan-Africanist credentials and economic policies aren’t favourable to the French with their allies.
Considering President Sall's fear of life after the presidency, his Cabal's appetite for corruption in anticipation of the Oil and Gas windfall and the French fear of losing a strategic ally in Senegal and her influences gives us more reasons to worry about having the covert arms deal as reported.
The clandestine nature of the arms deal is a call for concern, as most of Senegal's Weapons procurement and security contracts get publicised, and their military power gets displayed during national celebrations of independence or Armed Forces days commorations. I can’t imagine any good reasons why the deal gets kept secret, even away from Security ministers and Armed Services chiefs, as reported, other than intended for subversive purposes within Senegal or to neighbouring countries. It might sound ridiculous to some, but history should have taught us better, as this deal has all the characteristics that cause conflict and instability in other African nations.
Stay tuned for the following article. We will explore historical examples of the role of the proliferation of arms and the destabilisation of nations to learn a lesson to advert the destabilisation of Senegambia!
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Article contributed by Sulayman Ben Suwareh.
@02/11/2022
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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DISCOVERY OF THE COVERT PURCHASE OF ARMS
