U.S. Marine Corps General Michael Langley, Commander of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), outlined a new strategy for military cooperation in Africa during a press briefing on Thursday, September 12.
The briefing, held by the U.S. Department of State’s Africa Regional Media Hub, provided insights into AFRICOM’s new approach, rooted in the U.S. National Security Strategy, which emphasizes an “African-led and U.S.-enabled” approach to addressing security challenges across the continent.
General Langley highlighted AFRICOM’s focus on partnering with African nations to combat violent extremist organizations, transnational criminal groups, and the security impacts of climate change. He stressed the importance of collaboration, stating, “We still follow those first principles in any engagement with African militaries across the continent.”
The commander discussed his recent travels across North and East Africa, including participation in the African Lion exercise in Morocco and visits to Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. These trips aimed to foster unity of effort in addressing regional security challenges, particularly the threat of violent extremist organizations.
Regarding East Africa, General Langley emphasized ongoing support for Somalia’s fight against al-Shabaab. He noted recent meetings with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, stating, “His fight and campaign against al-Shabaab is going to continue; building up at the same time and doing force generation and building up the Somali National Army is understood.”
He further discussed the current transition of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) which replaced the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) on April 1, 2022.
He described the transition as critical, noting that the Somali government’s campaign against al-Shabaab continues amid these changes. “Building up the Somali National Army is like flying a plane while still building it,” Langley remarked, highlighting the ongoing challenges and optimism surrounding the situation.
When asked about the adaptation of AFRICOM following the withdrawal from Niger, General Langley said, “We are pivoting to some degree of like-minded countries with democratic values and shared objectives and shared challenges across coastal West Africa.” He mentioned ongoing talks with Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Benin to recalibrate U.S. military assets and support in the region.
Addressing concerns about Chinese and Russian influence in Africa, General Langley emphasized that AFRICOM does not give partner nations “an ultimatum of who to choose for a security partner.” However, he expressed concern about misinformation and disinformation campaigns that have “stoked a lot of instability across civil society and across some of these militaries.”
General Langley reiterated AFRICOM’s commitment to its partner-led approach: “Our approach is the same and consistent, and we’re going to collectively through the 3D process of development, defense, and diplomacy achieve those objectives.”
