WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th February, 2020) African leaders told visiting US lawmakers that the limited American military presence is vital to contain a growing threat from militant Islamist terrorists, Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Jim Inhofe said in a press release following a three nation visit.
"The takeaway from our meetings over the past few days was clear: any reduction in US military presence in West Africa would have real and lasting negative consequences for our African partners. At each meeting, they reiterated how helpful the US presence has been to building their own capacities to defeat the growing radical Islamic terrorist threat in West Africa," Inhofe said on Wednesday.
Inhofe added that the small US military presence provides a "significant return on investment," and that withdrawing American forces would risk increased conflicts in the future.
The trip by Inhofe and four other members of Congress included meetings in Ghana, Mauritania and Uganda, as well as a session with representatives from the Sahel countries of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and Niger, the release said.
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper is considering proposals to reduce or either reduce or completely withdraw an estimated 6,000-to-7,000 American service members from Africa, according to published reports.
