News / National
China to set up military airbase in Zimbabwe?
17 Feb 2014 at 07:56hrs | Views
China is reportedly scheming to set up a military airbase in Zimbabwe's controversial Marange diamond fields of Manicaland province, as Beijing and Harare ratchet up military cooperation and closer than before foreign relations, The Telescope News reported.
China has no known military bases in Africa, and insists on it's non-interference of internal politics stance of her allies on the continent, thus raising eyebrows as to whether Beijing could finally be making a paradigm shift in it's foreign military policy, in response to the Asian giants growing economic interests here.
The only one point, where it was thought China would finally start setting up military bases in Africa, was in 2011 in Seychelles. China had to weigh up, whether to open an Indian Ocean naval base, following an offer from the Seychelles government to establish a port to supply its anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden.
At the time Beijing's Defence Ministry, according to the British press had confirmed the development, only meeting stiff resistance and concern from India, whose former intelligence chief Vikram Sood said he was surprised the Seychelles government, had made the offer after being traditionally close to New Delhi citing the threats to his country posed by China's growing influence.
Military officials in Zimbabwe, said details of the airbase plan were sketchy, and mostly classified due to the veil of secrecy around President Robert Mugabe's relationship, with China's Red Army. A sizeable number of Chinese troops, are reported to have their boots on the ground in the Marange diamond fields, which have since been cordoned off as a high level security zone. The Chinese soldiers are working in collaboration with Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) personnel in mining the precious stone, while providing security to the restricted area, where gems are being airlifted out of the country through a secretive airstrip constructed by China in Marange a few years ago.
Aerial picture of the massive Marange airstrip
"It's one of those things we gather is being planned in secret," said a senior Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) officer in the capital. "This could be a follow up to a military treaty signed between China and Zimbabwe in July 2005, for the construction of a bonded warehouse for the Air Force of Zimbabwe. We believe the Chinese airbase is going to be built underground, for reasons best known to our partners and the top leadership."
A former Asian diplomat, who worked in Harare for close to a decade also concurred with the story, adding that China would never leave her economic interests in Zimbabwe susceptible to attack and that Beijing is good at keeping mum on such projects.
"Haven't you heard that Africa is the battlefield of tomorrow, today," said the diplomat who has since been posted to the United States. "As such in terms of geo-politics Zimbabwe is already a key battleground, for various competing powers. During my stay there, we heard about many military agreements being signed between the two countries, but the media was embargoed from giving the full details of such agreements, for security reasons. When one looks at the construction still taking place around the massive airstrip in Marange, you have the feeling that there is more to it than meets the eye. The airstrip alone is said to be bigger than, the one at Harare International Airport. It is also reportedly big enough for cargo planes and jets."
The Marange airstrip, where the Chinese airbase is believed to be earmarked has sophisticated radar systems and equipment, an operational control tower among other high-tech aviation technology facilities.
Chinese Embassy officials in Harare, remained evasive about the issue last week.
Experts have suggested that, Marange could be home to one of the world's richest diamond deposits. In terms of carats produced, the Marange field is the largest diamond producing project in the world, estimated according to official records to have produced 16.9 million carats in 2013, which is about 13% of global rough diamond supply. Some 12.0 million carats were produced in 2012, 8.7 million carats in 2011, and 8.2 million carats in 2010.
Other envoys believe, the alleged airbase could be a sign of Beijing's determination to rival the U.S Africa Command initiative. Washington maintains it only has one small military base in Africa at Camp Lemonnier, in the deeply impoverished nation of Djibouti, on the coast of the Gulf of Aden, just north of Somalia.
Military analysts say the advent of, "The Drone Age" is seeing Africa coming into focus and world powers could soon be opening strategic bases, as the drone race intensifies, because: "Military superiority, is not only determined by weapon power, but also through military presence around the globe."
AFZ has an estimated personnel of about 5000, and the country has three main airbases, which are:Thornhill Airbase in Gweru (Air force fighter squadrons and a Pilot Training School); Manyame Air Base in Harare (The principal air force establishment providing facilities for aircraft squadrons of differing roles); Suri Suri or Field Air base near Chegutu (Home to air defence and regimental training). There are also a number of secret bases, with underground armouries.
China has no known military bases in Africa, and insists on it's non-interference of internal politics stance of her allies on the continent, thus raising eyebrows as to whether Beijing could finally be making a paradigm shift in it's foreign military policy, in response to the Asian giants growing economic interests here.
The only one point, where it was thought China would finally start setting up military bases in Africa, was in 2011 in Seychelles. China had to weigh up, whether to open an Indian Ocean naval base, following an offer from the Seychelles government to establish a port to supply its anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden.
At the time Beijing's Defence Ministry, according to the British press had confirmed the development, only meeting stiff resistance and concern from India, whose former intelligence chief Vikram Sood said he was surprised the Seychelles government, had made the offer after being traditionally close to New Delhi citing the threats to his country posed by China's growing influence.
Military officials in Zimbabwe, said details of the airbase plan were sketchy, and mostly classified due to the veil of secrecy around President Robert Mugabe's relationship, with China's Red Army. A sizeable number of Chinese troops, are reported to have their boots on the ground in the Marange diamond fields, which have since been cordoned off as a high level security zone. The Chinese soldiers are working in collaboration with Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) personnel in mining the precious stone, while providing security to the restricted area, where gems are being airlifted out of the country through a secretive airstrip constructed by China in Marange a few years ago.
Aerial picture of the massive Marange airstrip
"It's one of those things we gather is being planned in secret," said a senior Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) officer in the capital. "This could be a follow up to a military treaty signed between China and Zimbabwe in July 2005, for the construction of a bonded warehouse for the Air Force of Zimbabwe. We believe the Chinese airbase is going to be built underground, for reasons best known to our partners and the top leadership."
A former Asian diplomat, who worked in Harare for close to a decade also concurred with the story, adding that China would never leave her economic interests in Zimbabwe susceptible to attack and that Beijing is good at keeping mum on such projects.
"Haven't you heard that Africa is the battlefield of tomorrow, today," said the diplomat who has since been posted to the United States. "As such in terms of geo-politics Zimbabwe is already a key battleground, for various competing powers. During my stay there, we heard about many military agreements being signed between the two countries, but the media was embargoed from giving the full details of such agreements, for security reasons. When one looks at the construction still taking place around the massive airstrip in Marange, you have the feeling that there is more to it than meets the eye. The airstrip alone is said to be bigger than, the one at Harare International Airport. It is also reportedly big enough for cargo planes and jets."
The Marange airstrip, where the Chinese airbase is believed to be earmarked has sophisticated radar systems and equipment, an operational control tower among other high-tech aviation technology facilities.
Chinese Embassy officials in Harare, remained evasive about the issue last week.
Experts have suggested that, Marange could be home to one of the world's richest diamond deposits. In terms of carats produced, the Marange field is the largest diamond producing project in the world, estimated according to official records to have produced 16.9 million carats in 2013, which is about 13% of global rough diamond supply. Some 12.0 million carats were produced in 2012, 8.7 million carats in 2011, and 8.2 million carats in 2010.
Other envoys believe, the alleged airbase could be a sign of Beijing's determination to rival the U.S Africa Command initiative. Washington maintains it only has one small military base in Africa at Camp Lemonnier, in the deeply impoverished nation of Djibouti, on the coast of the Gulf of Aden, just north of Somalia.
Military analysts say the advent of, "The Drone Age" is seeing Africa coming into focus and world powers could soon be opening strategic bases, as the drone race intensifies, because: "Military superiority, is not only determined by weapon power, but also through military presence around the globe."
AFZ has an estimated personnel of about 5000, and the country has three main airbases, which are:Thornhill Airbase in Gweru (Air force fighter squadrons and a Pilot Training School); Manyame Air Base in Harare (The principal air force establishment providing facilities for aircraft squadrons of differing roles); Suri Suri or Field Air base near Chegutu (Home to air defence and regimental training). There are also a number of secret bases, with underground armouries.
Source - The Telescope News
