A broad network of refueling and logistics pacts spans African countries

Evidence

There are fuel bunkers for U.S. aircraft and naval vessels in countries including Cameroon, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tanzania. At African airports, U.S. forces have signed twenty-nine agreements providing refueling rights; at least twenty-two airports in nineteen countries are already providing fuel. Government contracting documents show the military soliciting several private firms to provide airlift services for forces in Africa and rapid base construction services on a contingency basis across East and West Africa. — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 997

Categorization

• XREF: Reinforces the book’s core thesis that the U.S. presence is broader than the public ‘base’ count suggests.