quiet colonialism

"Quietly, the Obama administration is building up a vast array of military resources in West Africa, and specifically in Portuguese-speaking Lusophone countries. Reportedly, the Pentagon wants to establish a monitoring station in the Cape Verde islands, while further south in the Gulf of Guinea U.S. ships and personnel are patrolling local waters. Concerned lest it draw too much attention to itself, the Pentagon has avoided constructing large military installations and focused instead on a so-called "lily pad" strategy of smaller bases." "Former American Vice Admiral and Deputy Commander of the U.S. Africa Command Robert Moeller has stated that protecting "the free flow of natural resources from Africa to the global market" is highly important, as well as forestalling oil disruption."