|
“Africans
in the British Army”
560 South Africans, 460 Ghanaians, 80 from
Kenya
...
Figures
available have declared African and other developing
countries would soon form battalions in the British
army.
The
British army needs a strong numerical force to
undertake it’s normal defence of the
United
Kingdom
as
well as major military operations with the United
Nations and the
United
States
.
In an effort to fill gaps in its ranks, the British
army relies heavily on overseas recruits.
Information
gathered by the African Echo indicates that
foreigners, especially from the Commonwealth, account
for about 10 per cent of the army's total strength of
just over 100,000.
Currently
one country that is making dominant representation in
the British army is
Ghana
,
perhaps due to the political,
economic, military as well as colonial ties
with
England
.
Ghanaians
account for the fourth largest recruits in the British
Army. There are currently 460 of them and only
recruits from
Fiji
,
Jamaica
and
South
Africa
exceed their number.
Military
analysts have warned that "the growing reliance
on non-British soldiers 'was unsustainable'."
Fijians
now top, by way of figures in the British army with
1,815 followed by
Jamaica
with 925,
South
Africa
-
560 and
Ghana
-
460. Grenadine - 285
St
Lucia
-
220
Australia
-
80
Kenya
-
75
New
Zealand
-
70
Canada
-
65
Gambia
-
65
Malawi
-
60
Grenada
-
45
Nigeria
-
45
India
-
40
Sierra
Leone
-
30
Uganda
-
25 in that order.
More in the current issue..
Back |
