MAY 30, 2025 – One of U.S. Africa Command’s objectives is to help African nations build the self-reliance they need to independently confront terrorism and insurgencies.
“Alliances like this represent peace through strength,” said Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley, commander of Africom.
Langley spoke today at the conclusion of the two-day, 37-nation African Chiefs of Defense Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, which the U.S. and Kenya co-hosted.
A second objective, he said, is for nations to increase burden-sharing of their own defense resources.
“It’s about investing in Africa’s ability to solve African problems, and it’s about recognizing that a safe, stable and prosperous Africa is not a charitable goal. It is a strategic necessity for the United States and our African partners,” Langley said.
The United States is actively supporting African militaries through training, advanced intelligence sharing and helping to build enduring institutions, he said.
The general outlined threats facing the continent, particularly in the Sahel region, including Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, where there’s prolonged conflict and growing instability, calling it the world’s epicenter of terrorism.
Terrorist networks affiliated with ISIS and al-Qaeda are thriving there, particularly in Burkina Faso, where the government no longer controls large parts of its territory. Attacks are also resurging in the Lake Chad region, Langley said.
As extremist groups gain ground, capability and capacity, they increasingly become a threat to the African continent as well as the U.S. homeland, he said.
One of the terrorists’ goals now is access to the west coast of Africa, Langley said.
“If they gain access to the vast coastline, they can diversify their revenue streams and evolve their tactics, more easily exporting terrorism to American shores,” he warned.
These terrorists conduct illicit activity like smuggling, human trafficking and arms trading, Langley said.
The coastal nations of “Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Benin are relentlessly fighting along their northern borders to keep these threats at bay. Africom has and will continue to support them,” he said.
Besides the criminal and terrorist threats, China continues to pursue short-term economic gains across Africa at the expense of its people, Langley said.
China’s model of engagement prioritizes access to resources, not long-term stability. In contrast, the United States is shifting toward a trade-focused foreign policy, he said.
“We know that security and trade are inextricably linked,” Langley said. “There is no economic development without safety, and safe environments encourage private-sector investment. Africom’s role is vital to enabling that environment, not just for African nations, but for the prosperity and security of Americans as well.”
By David Vergun, DOD News