Moscow claims to have proof of Washington\u2019s activities on the continent<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The US is expanding its biological military presence across Africa, Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov claimed on Tuesday. According to the head of Russia\u2019s Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Protection Forces, the move comes after Russia halted the implementation of similar programs in former Ukrainian territories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause Russia has managed to halt the implementation of biological warfare programs in Ukraine\u2019s liberated territories, the Pentagon is forced to transfer incomplete research under Ukrainian projects to other regions,\u201d Kirillov alleged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He highlighted Africa as a new zone of interest for the US Defense Department and related agencies. The general mentioned the presence of Pentagon contractors in several African countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Uganda, and South Africa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWashington uses outside actors to hide the objectives of research. These are contracting and intermediary organizations (Metabiota, Quicksilver, EkoHealth Alliance, more than 20 companies) and businesses of the so-called Big Pharma,\u201d Kirillov claimed. Russia has documents confirming the rapid expansion of the US biological warfare presence in Africa, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kirillov cited several examples of alleged US activities, stating that \u201cin October 2023, staff of the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases conducted a large-scale survey of hantavirus samples from bats in Kenya\u2019s natural hotspots. A year ago, US military biologists studied the effects of anti-malarial drugs on local populations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn January 2024, US officials from the Defense Department, the State Department, and the US Department of Health and Human Services met with the heads of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Africa to discuss the continent\u2019s prospects for developing laboratory capabilities,\u201d the general said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the end of last year, Kirillov said Russia had obtained documents proving that the US had conducted research on bioweapon components and highly dangerous pathogens in Ukraine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n