Rep. Gaetz’s Amendment Seeks Accountability for US-Trained Military Personnel Involved in Coups in Africa

In response to a series of coups orchestrated by military personnel in West Africa and the Sahel region who were trained by the United States, Representative Matt Gaetz from Florida has introduced an amendment to the 2024 defense spending bill. This amendment aims to gather information about trainees who have participated in overthrowing their governments. Gaetz highlighted that the Department of Defense had not previously maintained data on individuals they trained who took part in coups to overthrow governments. His proposed legislation, which has been approved by the House Armed Services Committee, calls for the Pentagon to report to Congress on U.S.-mentored mutineers and their actions.

According to findings, at least 15 officers who received U.S. security assistance were involved in 12 coups in the West African and Sahel regions during the war on terror. These coups occurred in countries such as Burkina Faso, Chad, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger. Some leaders of these coups had received American training and subsequently appointed U.S.-trained members to key positions in their security forces. Despite inquiries about the prevalence of U.S.-trained troops engaging in coups, both the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the State Department reportedly lack comprehensive records on this matter.

Rep. Gaetz’s amendment, part of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, seeks to make the defense secretary provide a report detailing instances where foreign military forces trained or equipped by the U.S. were involved in coups or actions to overthrow democratically-elected governments. The proposed legislation gained traction within the House Armed Services Committee, but it received limited attention in the media due to focus on other contentious social policy provisions.

Erik Sperling from Just Foreign Policy, an advocacy group critical of mainstream U.S. foreign policy, acknowledged the renewed attention on the issue of U.S.-trained soldiers being implicated in coups and human rights violations. He pointed out that this problem extends beyond the Western hemisphere, referencing past protests against the “School of the Americas,” which trained officers involved in anti-democratic actions in Latin America.