| Submit your comments on this article | |
| Africa Horn | |
| US Africa commander highlights terror growth in Sahel and competition with China for influence | |
| 2025-05-30 | |
| [FOX] 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,
"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. Related: Michael Langley 05/29/2025 Washington urges African allies to handle their own security Michael Langley 04/05/2025 Emerging al-Shabaab–Houthi axis a ‘heightened terrorist threat,’ warns top US general Michael Langley 01/08/2025 Why Mohamed Mire's death is a huge blow to Al-Shabaab Related: AFRICOM: 2025-05-21 Puntland Launches Major Offensive Against ISIS in Cal-Miskaad Mountains AFRICOM: 2025-05-20 Fierce Clashes Between Local Militia and Al-Shabaab in Central Somalia AFRICOM: 2025-05-20 AFRICOM halts disclosure of Somalia airstrike casualties amid Trump policy review Related: AQIM: 2024-06-27 ICC convicts al-Qaida-linked leader of atrocities in Mali AQIM: 2024-05-21 Black flags over the Dark Continent. Who is the Russian Afrika Korps fighting with? AQIM: 2023-01-14 Al-Qaeda claims the death of the 14 soldiers in the center of Mali Related: JNIM: 2025-05-15 Perfect Example of Why the Swamp Hates DOGE-this Agency is a Crime Scene JNIM: 2025-04-26 JNIM's Growing Pressure on Benin JNIM: 2025-03-06 Islamic State the deadliest terror group in 2024 as big four expands Related: Sahel: 2025-05-16 Nigeria: Insecurity - Bandits Feed Our Babies to Their Dogs - Zamfara Lawmaker Sahel: 2025-05-02 Thousands rally in Ouagadougou and worldwide in support of President Ibrahim Traorr Sahel: 2025-04-28 ISWAP, Boko Haram Terrorists Regrouping In Lake Chad, Borno Governor Zulum Raises Fresh Alarm | |
| Posted by:Skidmark |
| #1 Sounds like a job for the Chinese. Stay out of it ! |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2025-05-30 09:48 |