China vigilantes follow the work of government -owned construction companies to build, invest or operate new or updated ports in Africa for a potential future use in military operations, including Lekki in Nigeria, Kribi in Cameroon, Balat in Equatorial Guinea and Bagamoyo in Tanzania.
The ports supported by China have appropriate design functions for both commercial and military use. Chinese companies have built and/or funded 78 ports in 32 African countries.
“At least seven ports with Chinese support in Africa have design characteristics that are able to Chinese naval installations, although they may not have been specifically created for this purpose,” said Paul Nantulya, an associate researcher and an analyst of China at the National Defense University Africa Center for Strategic in Washington, DC, DC.
He cited the port of Walvis Bay in Namibia, which can accommodate up to eight guided missile destroyers and the port of Luwanda in Angola capable of accommodating any large Chinese surface combat ship. Victoria Indian Ocean Port in Seychelles can also accommodate up to two Chinese Corvettes, while Djibouti already welcomes a Chinese military base, said Nantulya.
He cited four characteristics that make a port suitable for military use: a significant maritime depth, a safe location, a fully integrated capacity for operations and a sufficient involvement of Chinese companies in construction, financial and even ports operations.
A Royal United Services Institute, based in London, is more specific.
“China also ensures that a significant amount of its port construction is being completed at a” double use of the port “to prevent western suspicion of naval accumulation,” he said. “Chinese -funded ports are built to accommodate commercial trade, but they can, with significant risks and complications, become military use as depth and landing and robbery areas are built in areas [military] Specifications. “”
The mombasa satellite images, Kenya Port, revealed that its 245 -meter -long military quality wharf could drag two corvettes and any surface fighter to certain guided missile destroyers, according to the report. He cited a private military investigation that also found that the port of Luanda in Angola can accommodate certain naval destroyers.
The report cites the 2019 White Book of Defense of China, which said that naval officials were developing “ logistical facilities abroad to deal with deficiencies in abroad operations ”, calling for a change from the “ active defense of the coast to Mars maneuver operations.
Nanthulya said he deepened more than ten times when Chinese military ships have docked in seven different African ports in recent years, including Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania, Lagos in Nigeria, Durban in South -Africa) and Doraleh in Djibouti as a staging reasons for exercises.
Chinese companies take advantage of the synergies between the import of products made in China and China -supported projects to develop railways, roads and ports under the initiative of belts and roads of billions of dollars. The Chinese government is coordinating these operations because it is interested in ensuring great sea routes, Nantulya said. Western companies, including those in the United States, do not have this advantage.
“My assessment is that China will definitely build a new military base in Africa,” he said. “But it is difficult to guess which port will be selected for this purpose.”
