The exercises the US is conducting in West Africa are part of Washington’s “offensive” and are “a bit suspicious” because of the large number of military, Prof. Francis Onditi, an associate professor of Conflictology; and Head of Department, the School of International Relations and Diplomacy, Riara University, Nairobi, Kenya, told Sputnik Africa.

“The US deploys two things in Africa, one is active military and two is what we call the kinetic diplomacy […] And so, yes, it is true that this formation or this exercise that is happening in West Africa, that has been happening in West Africa, is part of the US offensive,” he said.

However, the expert noted the shifting dynamics of global influence, with growing interest to Africa from Eastern powers such as Russia and China.

He noted the appeal of alternative development models presented by these nations, contrasting with perceived shortcomings of Western approaches, that “haven’t worked for the last 60 years.”