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Nigerian government opposes presence of AFRICOM in West Africa
By Segun Adeyemi
22 November 2007
The Nigerian government has said it will not allow the US to establish its African Command (AFRICOM) in the country, or in the wider West African region, directly opposing the opinion of senior Nigerian military officials.
AFRICOM formally came into being on 1 October. However, following a meeting in Abuja on 19 November, the country's highest presidential advisory committee, the National Council of State, declared its disapproval of the command.
Council spokesman Bukola Saraki told journalists: "The president restated the position of Nigeria: that it is not permitting the establishment of a US base in our country or the [West African] sub-region, but [will] work towards [the] establishment of [an] African Standby Force."