Even a cursory review of the evidence shows that one important reason the US is deploying so many commandos to Africa in the first place is precisely to counter Chinese interests on the continent.

And, as I pointed out at the time, China was playing its own part in this neo-colonial struggle for influence in Africa. Rather than seeking a military footprint on the continent, however, China has been engaged in "checkbook diplomacy," reinvesting its capital from the economic boom of recent decades in infrastructure projects and other Belt and Road initiatives in Africa.

Well, here we are six years later. How has this new scramble for influence on the African continent played out so far? And where will it go from here?

Today, let's examine some of the key battlegrounds in the Secret Battle for Africa.