U.S. General Warns of Terror Surge in Sahel and China’s Growing Influence in Africa

In a stark warning, Gen. Michael Langley, head of U.S. Africa Command, highlighted the alarming surge of terrorist groups in Africa’s Sahel region, now a global epicenter for extremism. Al-Qaeda’s regional branch, AQIM, has tripled in size since 2022, spreading its tentacles across Mali, Burkina Faso, and parts of Niger—where U.S. forces withdrew last year. Another Al-Qaeda-affiliated group, Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin, has quadrupled in Burkina Faso alone.

Langley emphasized the growing threat to U.S. soil, noting these groups’ ambitions to access West Africa’s coastline. Such access could diversify their revenue through smuggling, human trafficking, and arms trading, fueling their ability to export terror globally. Meanwhile, a recent U.S. airstrike targeted al-Shabab in Somalia, a nation long plagued by Islamist insurgencies.

Beyond terrorism, Langley flagged a geopolitical race. China and Russia are vying for influence in African nations, with Beijing mimicking the U.S.’s military training programs. As African soldiers train in Beijing, concerns mount over China’s growing sway in a region critical to global security.