Latest news with #GenMichaelLangley
Fox News
3 days ago
- General
- Fox News
U.S. Africa commander highlights terror growth in Sahel and competition with China for influence
A top United States military general warned Thursday that terror groups in Africa are ramping up their ability to conduct attacks in the U.S. Gen. Michael Langley, the four-star Marine General who leads U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), said the Sahel region of the continent is now the "flashpoint of prolonged conflict and growing instability. It is the epicenter of terrorism on the globe." Several terror groups have expanded drastically in the last three years. Al-Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, is three times the size it was in 2022, he said, and has spread across Mali, Burkina Faso, and parts of Niger, which the U.S. military pulled out of last year. Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin, a faction affiliated with Al-Qaeda, is now four times the size it was in 2022, expanding mainly in Burkina Faso. "We're keeping a good eye on this because they could have the capacity to attack the homeland," Langley said in a call with reporters. "Throughout my travels across West Africa and through dialog here at the conference, the concerns shared by my peers match my own," he added. "One of the terrorist's key goals now is access to the west coast of Africa. 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 noted that the terror groups engage in illicit activity like smuggling, human trafficking and arms trading, which fund their nefarious actions and destabilize the region. U.S. forces over the weekend conducted an airstrike against the al Qaeda-linked al-Shabab in Somalia. The East African country has been wracked for decades by attacks and insurgency from Islamist terrorists, both from ISIS and al-Shabab. The U.S. is in a race with China and Russia to gain influence and trust with the local governments of several African nations to help protect citizens from terror groups. Langley said there is an increasing concern about the number of African soldiers going to Beijing for military training and replicating a U.S. International Military Education and Training (IMET) program. "They're trying to replicate what we do best in our IMET program," said Langley. "And then they also said they're going to increase security and training in a number of countries. So, they're trying to replicate what we do."
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
US military shifts messaging in Africa, telling allies to prepare to stand more on their own
TAN TAN, Morocco (AP) — The U.S. military is backing off its usual talk of good governance and countering insurgencies' underlying causes, instead leaning into a message that its fragile allies in Africa must be ready to stand more on their own. At African Lion, its largest joint training exercise on the continent, that shift was clear: 'We need to be able to get our partners to the level of independent operations,' Gen. Michael Langley said in an interview with The Associated Press. 'There needs to be some burden sharing," Langley, the U.S. military's top official in Africa, said on Friday, the final day of the exercise. For four weeks, troops from more than 40 countries rehearsed how to confront threats by air, land, and sea. They flew drones, simulated close-quarters combat and launched satellite-guided rockets in the desert. Maneuvers mirrored previous editions of African Lion, now in its 25th year. But mostly gone now is language that emphasizes ideas the U.S. once argued set it apart from Russia and China. Messaging about the interwoven work of defense, diplomacy and development once formed the core of Washington's security pitch. In their place now are calls for helping allies build capacity to manage their own security, which Langley said was a priority for President Donald Trump's Defense Department. 'We have our set priorities now — protecting the homeland. And we're also looking for other countries to contribute to some of these global instability areas,' he said, referencing U.S. support for Sudan. The shift comes as the U.S. military makes moves to "build a leaner, more lethal force,' including potentially cutting military leadership positions in places like Africa, where America's rivals continue to deepen their influence. China has launched its own expansive training program for African militaries. Russian mercenaries are recalibrating and cementing their role as security partner of choice throughout North, West and Central Africa. In an interview a year ago, Langley emphasized what U.S. military officials have long called a 'whole of government approach" to countering insurgency. Even amid setbacks, he defended the U.S. approach and said force alone couldn't stabilize weak states and protect U.S. interests against the risk of violence spilling out. 'I've always professed that AFRICOM is just not a military organization,' Langley said last year. He called good governance an 'enduring solution to a number of layered threats — whether it be desertification, whether it be crop failure from changing environments, or whether it be from violent extremist organizations.' The 'whole of government approach" no longer occupies the same place at the center of U.S. messaging, though Langley said holistic efforts have worked in places like Ivory Coast, where development and defense had reduced attacks by jihadi groups near its volatile northern border. But such successes aren't a pattern. 'I've seen progression and I've seen regression,' said Langley, who is scheduled to exit his post later this year. As the US steps back, insurgencies gain ground The U.S. military's new posture comes even though many African armies remain ill-equipped and insurgent groups expand. 'We see Africa as the epicenter for both al-Qaida and Islamic State,' a senior U.S. defense official said earlier this month, noting both groups had growing regional affiliates and the Islamic State group had shifted command and control to Africa. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the issue publicly. Africa has rarely ranked high on the Pentagon's list of priorities, but the U.S. has still spent hundreds of millions of dollars on security assistance and has roughly 6,500 Africa Command personnel on the continent. In some regions, the U.S. faces direct competition from Russia and China. In others, regional affiliates of al-Qaida and the IS still require direct military action, Langley said. The messaging shift from 'whole of government' to more burden-sharing comes as fears grow that rising violence could spread beyond hotspots where insurgents have expanded influence and found vacuums in which they can consolidate power. Parts of of both East and West Africa have emerged as epicenters of violence. In 2024, more than half of the world's terrorism victims were killed across West Africa's Sahel, a vast desert territory ruled by military juntas, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace. The group, which compiles yearly terrorism statistics, also found Somalia accounted for 6% of all terrorism-related deaths, making it the deadliest for terrorism in Africa outside the Sahel. Since Trump took office, the U.S. military has escalated airstrikes in Somalia, targeting IS and al-Shabab operatives. But despite air support, Somalia's army remains far from being able to maintain security on the ground, Langley acknowledged. 'The Somali National Army is trying to find their way,' Langley said, adding that they had regained some footing after years of setbacks. 'There are some things they still need on the battlefield to be very effective.' Similarly in West Africa, the notion that states could soon have the capacity to counter such threats is a distant prospect, said Beverly Ochieng, an analyst at Control Risks, a security consulting firm. Even before Western influence began to wane in the Sahel, needed military support was limited, threats remained active, and local militaries were left without the tools to confront them. Western powers with a presence in the Sahel have gradually scaled back their engagement, either by choice or after being pushed out by increasingly hostile governments. 'Many of them do not have very strong air forces and are not able to monitor the movement of militants, especially in areas where roads are very difficult to traverse, the infrastructure is extremely poor,' Ochieng, who specializes in the Sahel and Great Power competition in Africa, said.
Washington Post
7 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
US military shifts messaging in Africa, telling allies to prepare to stand more on their own
TAN TAN, Morocco — The U.S. military is backing off its usual talk of good governance and countering insurgencies' underlying causes, instead leaning into a message that its fragile allies in Africa must be ready to stand more on their own. At African Lion , its largest joint training exercise on the continent, that shift was clear: 'We need to be able to get our partners to the level of independent operations,' Gen. Michael Langley said in an interview with The Associated Press.
The Independent
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
US military shifts messaging in Africa, telling allies to prepare to stand more on their own
The U.S. military is backing off its usual talk of good governance and countering insurgencies' underlying causes, instead leaning into a message that its fragile allies in Africa must be ready to stand more on their own. At African Lion, its largest joint training exercise on the continent, that shift was clear: 'We need to be able to get our partners to the level of independent operations,' Gen. Michael Langley said in an interview with The Associated Press. 'There needs to be some burden sharing," Langley, the U.S. military's top official in Africa, said on Friday, the final day of the exercise. For four weeks, troops from more than 40 countries rehearsed how to confront threats by air, land, and sea. They flew drones, simulated close-quarters combat and launched satellite-guided rockets in the desert. Maneuvers mirrored previous editions of African Lion, now in its 25th year. But mostly gone now is language that emphasizes ideas the U.S. once argued set it apart from Russia and China. Messaging about the interwoven work of defense, diplomacy and development once formed the core of Washington's security pitch. In their place now are calls for helping allies build capacity to manage their own security, which Langley said was a priority for President Donald Trump's Defense Department. 'We have our set priorities now — protecting the homeland. And we're also looking for other countries to contribute to some of these global instability areas,' he said, referencing U.S. support for Sudan. The shift comes as the U.S. military makes moves to "build a leaner, more lethal force,' including potentially cutting military leadership positions in places like Africa, where America's rivals continue to deepen their influence. China has launched its own expansive training program for African militaries. Russian mercenaries are recalibrating and cementing their role as security partner of choice throughout North, West and Central Africa. In an interview a year ago, Langley emphasized what U.S. military officials have long called a 'whole of government approach" to countering insurgency. Even amid setbacks, he defended the U.S. approach and said force alone couldn't stabilize weak states and protect U.S. interests against the risk of violence spilling out. 'I've always professed that AFRICOM is just not a military organization,' Langley said last year. He called good governance an 'enduring solution to a number of layered threats — whether it be desertification, whether it be crop failure from changing environments, or whether it be from violent extremist organizations.' The 'whole of government approach" no longer occupies the same place at the center of U.S. messaging, though Langley said holistic efforts have worked in places like Ivory Coast, where development and defense had reduced attacks by jihadi groups near its volatile northern border. But such successes aren't a pattern. 'I've seen progression and I've seen regression,' said Langley, who is scheduled to exit his post later this year. As the US steps back, insurgencies gain ground The U.S. military's new posture comes even though many African armies remain ill-equipped and insurgent groups expand. 'We see Africa as the epicenter for both al-Qaida and Islamic State,' a senior U.S. defense official said earlier this month, noting both groups had growing regional affiliates and the Islamic State group had shifted command and control to Africa. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the issue publicly. Africa has rarely ranked high on the Pentagon's list of priorities, but the U.S. has still spent hundreds of millions of dollars on security assistance and has roughly 6,500 Africa Command personnel on the continent. In some regions, the U.S. faces direct competition from Russia and China. In others, regional affiliates of al-Qaida and the IS still require direct military action, Langley said. The messaging shift from 'whole of government' to more burden-sharing comes as fears grow that rising violence could spread beyond hotspots where insurgents have expanded influence and found vacuums in which they can consolidate power. Parts of of both East and West Africa have emerged as epicenters of violence. In 2024, more than half of the world's terrorism victims were killed across West Africa's Sahel, a vast desert territory ruled by military juntas, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace. The group, which compiles yearly terrorism statistics, also found Somalia accounted for 6% of all terrorism-related deaths, making it the deadliest for terrorism in Africa outside the Sahel. Since Trump took office, the U.S. military has escalated airstrikes in Somalia, targeting IS and al-Shabab operatives. But despite air support, Somalia's army remains far from being able to maintain security on the ground, Langley acknowledged. 'The Somali National Army is trying to find their way,' Langley said, adding that they had regained some footing after years of setbacks. 'There are some things they still need on the battlefield to be very effective.' Similarly in West Africa, the notion that states could soon have the capacity to counter such threats is a distant prospect, said Beverly Ochieng, an analyst at Control Risks, a security consulting firm. Even before Western influence began to wane in the Sahel, needed military support was limited, threats remained active, and local militaries were left without the tools to confront them. Western powers with a presence in the Sahel have gradually scaled back their engagement, either by choice or after being pushed out by increasingly hostile governments. 'Many of them do not have very strong air forces and are not able to monitor the movement of militants, especially in areas where roads are very difficult to traverse, the infrastructure is extremely poor,' Ochieng, who specializes in the Sahel and Great Power competition in Africa, said.
Associated Press
7 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
US military shifts messaging in Africa, telling allies to prepare to stand more on their own
TAN TAN, Morocco (AP) — The U.S. military is backing off its usual talk of good governance and countering insurgencies' underlying causes, instead leaning into a message that its fragile allies in Africa must be ready to stand more on their own. At African Lion, its largest joint training exercise on the continent, that shift was clear: 'We need to be able to get our partners to the level of independent operations,' Gen. Michael Langley said in an interview with The Associated Press. 'There needs to be some burden sharing,' Langley, the U.S. military's top official in Africa, said on Friday, the final day of the exercise. For four weeks, troops from more than 40 countries rehearsed how to confront threats by air, land, and sea. They flew drones, simulated close-quarters combat and launched satellite-guided rockets in the desert. Maneuvers mirrored previous editions of African Lion, now in its 25th year. But mostly gone now is language that emphasizes ideas the U.S. once argued set it apart from Russia and China. Messaging about the interwoven work of defense, diplomacy and development once formed the core of Washington's security pitch. In their place now are calls for helping allies build capacity to manage their own security, which Langley said was a priority for President Donald Trump's Defense Department. 'We have our set priorities now — protecting the homeland. And we're also looking for other countries to contribute to some of these global instability areas,' he said, referencing U.S. support for Sudan. The shift comes as the U.S. military makes moves to 'build a leaner, more lethal force,' including potentially cutting military leadership positions in places like Africa, where America's rivals continue to deepen their influence. China has launched its own expansive training program for African militaries. Russian mercenaries are recalibrating and cementing their role as security partner of choice throughout North, West and Central Africa. In an interview a year ago, Langley emphasized what U.S. military officials have long called a 'whole of government approach' to countering insurgency. Even amid setbacks, he defended the U.S. approach and said force alone couldn't stabilize weak states and protect U.S. interests against the risk of violence spilling out. 'I've always professed that AFRICOM is just not a military organization,' Langley said last year. He called good governance an 'enduring solution to a number of layered threats — whether it be desertification, whether it be crop failure from changing environments, or whether it be from violent extremist organizations.' The 'whole of government approach' no longer occupies the same place at the center of U.S. messaging, though Langley said holistic efforts have worked in places like Ivory Coast, where development and defense had reduced attacks by jihadi groups near its volatile northern border. But such successes aren't a pattern. 'I've seen progression and I've seen regression,' said Langley, who is scheduled to exit his post later this year. As the US steps back, insurgencies gain ground The U.S. military's new posture comes even though many African armies remain ill-equipped and insurgent groups expand. 'We see Africa as the epicenter for both al-Qaida and Islamic State,' a senior U.S. defense official said earlier this month, noting both groups had growing regional affiliates and the Islamic State group had shifted command and control to Africa. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the issue publicly. Africa has rarely ranked high on the Pentagon's list of priorities, but the U.S. has still spent hundreds of millions of dollars on security assistance and has roughly 6,500 Africa Command personnel on the continent. In some regions, the U.S. faces direct competition from Russia and China. In others, regional affiliates of al-Qaida and the IS still require direct military action, Langley said. The messaging shift from 'whole of government' to more burden-sharing comes as fears grow that rising violence could spread beyond hotspots where insurgents have expanded influence and found vacuums in which they can consolidate power. Parts of of both East and West Africa have emerged as epicenters of violence. In 2024, more than half of the world's terrorism victims were killed across West Africa's Sahel, a vast desert territory ruled by military juntas, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace. The group, which compiles yearly terrorism statistics, also found Somalia accounted for 6% of all terrorism-related deaths, making it the deadliest for terrorism in Africa outside the Sahel. Since Trump took office, the U.S. military has escalated airstrikes in Somalia, targeting IS and al-Shabab operatives. But despite air support, Somalia's army remains far from being able to maintain security on the ground, Langley acknowledged. 'The Somali National Army is trying to find their way,' Langley said, adding that they had regained some footing after years of setbacks. 'There are some things they still need on the battlefield to be very effective.' Similarly in West Africa, the notion that states could soon have the capacity to counter such threats is a distant prospect, said Beverly Ochieng, an analyst at Control Risks, a security consulting firm. Even before Western influence began to wane in the Sahel, needed military support was limited, threats remained active, and local militaries were left without the tools to confront them. Western powers with a presence in the Sahel have gradually scaled back their engagement, either by choice or after being pushed out by increasingly hostile governments. 'Many of them do not have very strong air forces and are not able to monitor the movement of militants, especially in areas where roads are very difficult to traverse, the infrastructure is extremely poor,' Ochieng, who specializes in the Sahel and Great Power competition in Africa, said.
