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US military reassesses West Africa strategy as troops exit Niger
As the U.S. withdraws 1,000 troops from Niger, the top U.S. military officer said other West African nations may be open to an expanded American presence.
By Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press
AFRICOM’s Flintlock exercise to kick off in Cote d’Ivoire amid regional tensions
Flintlock 2022 will be taking place Feb. 15-28 in Cote d'Ivoire.
US warns that Islamic State extremists still a world threat
The coalition is hoping to stabilize areas liberated from the Islamic State, repatriate and hold foreign fighters accountable and combat extremist messaging.
Top US general in Africa: ‘Wildfire of terrorism’ on march here
A stretch of continent, from the Sahel region to the Horn of Africa, concerns Gen. Stephen J. Townsend.
New four-star command allows US general to ‘coordinate closely’ with NATO allies in Africa
Close geography and economic ties between Africa and Europe means that regional security issues can quickly spread across the regions.
By Kyle Rempfer
France, West African leaders discuss fighting extremism
French and West African heads of state began a two-day summit Monday on the fight against Islamic extremists in Africa’s Sahel region.
Esper signs 10-year US military cooperation deal with Morocco
Morocco is a major non-NATO ally of the United States.
Why the US should spend 0.3 percent of its defense budget to prevent an African debacle
A small U.S. military investment in Africa provides the support of allies and partners, counterterrorism cooperation, and enough security to use American soft power, says the author of this commentary.
By Katherine Zimmerman
Efforts to combat violent extremist groups in Sahel region are ‘not getting the job done,’ says AFRICOM leader
“I do believe that if ISIS can carve out a new caliphate, or al-Qaida can, they will attempt to do it in West Africa,” U.S. Africa Command commander Army Gen. Stephen Townsend said.
By Diana Stancy
Al-Qaida, ISIS affiliates team up in West Africa, says US Special Operations Command Africa leader
The only place in the world where fighters linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group are cooperating is in West Africa’s sprawling Sahel region, giving the extremists greater depth as they push into new areas, according to the commander of the U.S. military’s special forces in Africa.
Special operations forces kick off international exercise in the Sahel, the ‘tinderbox of terrorist activity’
The U.S. and 30 other countries will have an opportunity to hone their intelligence-sharing skills at Flintlock, an annual military exercise that gets underway Feb. 17.
By Diana Stancy