US Cuts in Africa Aid Said to Hurt War on Terror

The US government has ended military aid for several African countries with governments that refused to sign an “Article 98 agreement” that exempts American soldiers from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The 2002 “American Servicemembers’ Protection Act” is a keystone of US opposition to the ICC, but the aid cutoffs have angered some military officials who say that African nations cannot combat terrorism on their territory without US help. China – Africa’s third largest trading partner – also has growing economic and political influence on the continent and is ready to fill the void left by the US. Some in Washington question the hypocrisy of asking countries to fight terrorism while concurrently denying them military aid. But the US resists the power of an international court, forcing both US and African leaders to balance anti-terror policies with their own stance toward the ICC. – YaleGlobal