Latest news with #UnitedStatesAfricaCommand
Daily Maverick
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
US Africa Command beefs up military support to Angola and Namibia
Regional security threats include Isis 'franchises' and an 'emerging Mexican drug cartel issue' emanating out of South Africa, says the US military. The United States Africa Command (Africom) is helping Angola and Namibia to counter threats from Isis and Mexican drug cartels emanating from South Africa and elsewhere, says Africom's deputy commander. Deputy Commander Lieutenant General John W Brennan said this in an online media briefing about his recent visits to Angola and Namibia with Ambassador Robert Scott, deputy Africom commander for civil-military engagement. They were asked what the main focus of Africom's engagement with Angola and Namibia was, since these were 'two countries where jihadist groups don't currently seem to present much of a threat'. Brennan replied that Africom's security assistance was 'really preventative. 'There are jihadist groups that operate all along the periphery of both Angola and Namibia. Isis has franchises in Mozambique, South Africa, as well as an emerging Mexican drug cartel issue that we think is … getting worse over time, that's emanating from South Africa and from coastal West Africa. 'We want to keep Namibia and Angola free of those threats as well as to prepare them for any future threats' through training, exercises and equipment. In Angola, the two officials observed joint exercises between US and Angolan special forces, and held discussions there and in Namibia with their counterparts, 'underscoring US Africa Command's continued commitment to strengthening partnerships in Africa to promote stability and collective defence through cost-effective, African-led solutions that minimise direct US military involvement', said Africom. Scott said what struck him on the visit was how 'tightly interlocked … security is with prosperity, with economic development', especially with maritime and trade issues. They heard that Namibia was planning to turn Walvis Bay into a regional hub for the transhipment of goods, and Scott noted that the US was taking the lead in helping to develop the Lobito Corridor into a transformational corridor for trade, connecting eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to the Atlantic. He said the Lobito Corridor showed how security was leveraging economic development and vice versa. He noted that the upgrading of the railway line from eastern DRC to the Port of Lobito had cut the transport time for goods like copper and agricultural products from an average of 28 days to seven days. And so the military exercises which the US was conducting with Angola were helping to keep its coastline secure. Africom was also providing Angola with technology to increase its maritime domain awareness, helping its navy and coastguard to know exactly what ships are off its coastline and what they're doing. Joint military exercises Brennan said that apart from the small special forces exercises like the recent one with Angola, Africom was trying to include Angola and Namibia in the larger joint military exercises with the US, like African Lion and Obangame Express, which involved 30-50 countries and which were typically conducted several times a year. He said that the difference between the way the US operated in Africa and the way that Russia, China and some European countries operated was that African countries led the joint US-Africa exercises. Scott added that this year's Obangame Express exercise had been organised to support the Yaoundé Code of Conduct, the regional construct of rules of engagement for maritime security organised by its member states themselves, from Mauritania down to Namibia. He said Obangame also included an interesting tabletop exercise on how to combat IUUF — illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing — and stop foreign country fleets 'taking all of their fish out of the ocean'. The training included 'knowing who's out in your oceans, being able to intercept them and then having the legal ability to actually prosecute them on land'. Brennan said Africom wanted to increase the participation of other Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries in joint military exercises. Africom was already hosting high-level discussions with their militaries, such as the annual Chiefs of Defense Conference. 'So the more African countries participating, the better,' he said, adding that the US was also adding partners and allies from across the world — for example, the last Cutlass Express exercise was partly hosted in East Africa and included India, Sri Lanka, South Korea and Brazil. He noted that holding the exercises in Africa helped to lower costs for both the US and the African countries. Africom had 'started the burgeoning relationship with SADC many years ago', said Brennan. Botswana was the hub of that, and Africom wanted to expand its security partners, who also provided troops to operations like those fighting violent extremist organisations in Somalia, as well as stopping illicit drug and human trafficking. Mozambique was also a partner, and Africom had recently given it boats to interdict drug shipments off its coast. He added that drug cartels making drugs in Africa and exporting them to Europe, the US and Australia, or for local consumption, were a growing problem. Brennan said that after the US and other Western countries had been forced (by pro-Russian juntas) to remove their militaries from some African countries, it had become more difficult for them to conduct counterterrorism operations when they were not on the ground. 'Which is why we're focusing on building our partners' capacities so that they can respond to terrorist activities … that we support from afar with our partners … with things like training and equipping.' DM
Business Insider
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
US Africa Command set to welcome new leader as Trump replaces Langley
President Donald Trump has initiated a leadership transition at the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) as Marine General Michael Langley's two-year term nears its conclusion. President Donald Trump has initiated a leadership change at the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM). Marine General Michael Langley, the outgoing commander, will be succeeded by Air Force Lt. Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson. The transition in AFRICOM leadership reflects ongoing U.S. efforts to maintain security cooperation in Africa. U.S. President Donald Trump has announced the appointment of Air Force Lt. Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson as the next commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), which oversees American military operations and partnerships across most of the African continent. Anderson, who currently serves as Director of Joint Force Development for the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, will succeed Marine General Michael Langley, whose two-year term is drawing to a close.. General Langley made history in 2022 as the first Black four-star general in the U.S. Marine Corps and the first African American to lead AFRICOM. The new appointment signals President Donald Trump's intention to preserve the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) as an independent combatant command amid ongoing debates in Washington over its relevance and future. With Africa's rising geopolitical significance, marked by increasing Chinese, Russian, and Middle Eastern influence, maintaining AFRICOM's autonomy is seen by many analysts as a clear assertion of U.S. commitment to security and diplomatic engagement across the continent. AFRICOM's Sahel struggles under Langley AFRICOM plays a critical role in overseeing U.S. military operations and partnerships across Africa, with a central focus on counterterrorism, strategic military training, and support for regional stability. However, in recent times, the command has found itself at the center of renewed scrutiny and geopolitical controversy, particularly regarding its position on the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a coalition of West African nations including Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso that have shifted toward military-led governance and distanced themselves from traditional Western alliances. Although Langley had maintained that its mission is not to dictate political transitions but to counter the growing threat of terrorism, particularly in the Sahel, his recent remarks have drawn international attention for their candid tone. Speaking at a U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee hearing earlier this year, Langley directly linked the surge in terrorist activity in the Sahel to external actors exploiting regional instability. He warned that ' terrorist groups are financing operations through illicit gold trade, ' singling out Burkina Faso as a key flashpoint where extremist groups have gained control of mines and routes vital to the black-market gold economy. ' Burkina Faso has lost significant state control in many of its northern regions, ' Langley said, ' and violent extremist organizations are profiting from gold trafficking, which helps them expand influence and buy weapons. ' He emphasized that such developments undermine regional stability and pose long-term threats to both African and U.S. security interests. These comments were interpreted by some African observers as a thinly veiled critique of the military regimes in the AES bloc, many of which have expelled Western forces, including French troops, and invited Russian or regional military support instead. As AFRICOM prepares for a change in leadership, Langley's warnings about terrorist financing and the consequences of political isolation in the Sahel remain urgent reminders of the complex security dynamics the next commander will inherit.
Ya Biladi
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
AFRICOM chief praises Morocco but rules out HQ move from Germany
Speaking yesterday in Washington, General Michael Langley, head of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), addressed the Military Affairs Committee on security developments across the African continent. He dismissed, for the time being, the prospect of relocating AFRICOM's headquarters from Stuttgart, Germany, to Morocco. «From an operational perspective, the cost-benefit analysis... the benefit of moving to Morocco wouldn't exceed the cost», he said in response to a question from Republican Representative Abraham Hamadeh. «I would say from a cost analysis perspective, I think we are advantageous where we are right now when we look at the overall cost. We would not be benefiting from moving our headquarters onto the African continent», Langley added. Nevertheless, Langley, who has led AFRICOM since August 2022, underscored Morocco's strategic importance. «Morocco is a great partner, and what they do in exporting security is tremendous, especially in the sub-Saharan countries», he noted.
Saudi Gazette
03-06-2025
- General
- Saudi Gazette
Al-Qaeda linked group says it carried out huge attack on Mali's army
BAMAKO — An al-Qaeda-linked group says it carried out a major attack on the Malian town of Boulikessi and the seizure of an army base there. More than 30 soldiers were killed in Sunday's attack, according to sources quoted by the news agency Reuters, however that figure has not been confirmed by the authorities. On Monday the same group, Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), said it targeted the military in the historic city of Timbuktu, with residents reporting hearing gunfire and explosions. Mali's army said in a statement late on Monday that it had repelled an "infiltration attempt by terrorist fighters" in Timbuktu, "neutralizing" 14 militants and arresting 31 suspects. It added that weapons, vehicles and other items were seized, but did not name the group responsible for the attack. The army said search operations across Timbuktu were ongoing. In an earlier statement, the army said it "reacted vigorously" to Sunday's attack, before "withdrawing" — suggesting a tactical retreat."Many men fought, some until their last breath, to defend the Malian nation," the statement unnamed local source told Reuters that JNIM had left many casualties and "cleared the camp".Unverified video footage showed dozens of militants storming the base, including one which captured them stepping on bodies, according to Monday's attack, JNIM said its fighters had attacked a military airport and Russian and security sources told the AFP news agency they were "fighting back", but that the militants were "everywhere in the city".A local official said the attackers had arrived "with a vehicle packed with explosives" that detonated close to the army a UN World Heritage Site, was captured by Islamist militants in 2012 before they were driven out, but has once more been under siege in recent attacks, the latest sign of collapsing security in Mali and the wider Sahel region, came after the United States Africa Command warned about growing efforts by various different Islamist militant groups which operate in the Sahel to gain access to West Africa's a press conference on Friday, the commander of United States Africa Command (Africom), Gen Michael Langley, described recent attacks in Nigeria, the wider Sahel, and the Lake Chad Basin as deeply troubling, warning that the groups' access to the coast would significantly boost their capacity for smuggling and arms is thought that more than 400 soldiers have been killed by militants since the beginning of last month in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, Reuters reports. — BBC
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Al-Qaeda linked group says it carried out huge attack on Mali's army
An al-Qaeda linked group says it carried out a major attack on the Malian town of Boulikessi, and seized control of an army base. More than 30 soldiers were killed in Sunday's attack, according to sources quoted by the Reuters news agency, however that figure has not been confirmed by the authorities. On Monday the same group, Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), says it targeted the military in the historic city of Timbuktu, with residents reporting hearing gunfire and explosions. In a statement responding to Sunday's attack, Mali's army said it "reacted vigorously", before "withdrawing" - suggesting a tactical retreat. "Many men fought, some until their last breath, to defend the Malian nation," the statement added. An unnamed local source told Reuters that JNIM had left many casualties and "cleared the camp". The attacks, the latest sign of collapsing security in Mali and the wider Sahel region, came after the United States Africa Command warned about growing efforts by various different Islamist militant groups which operate in the Sahel to gain access to West Africa's coastline. During a press conference on Friday, the commander of United States Africa Command (Africom), Gen Michael Langley, described recent attacks in Nigeria, the wider Sahel, and the Lake Chad Basin as deeply troubling, warning that the groups' access to the coast would significantly boost their capacity for smuggling and arms trafficking. It is thought that more than 400 soldiers have been killed by militants since the beginning of last month in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, Reuters reports. Additional reporting by Simon Ponsford. Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso to form joint force to fight jihadists The region with more 'terror deaths' than rest of world combined 'I thought I would die' - freed captive tells BBC of life in West African jihadist base Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
