Commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), U.S. Marine Corps General Michael Langley, says the spate of recent terrorists’ “attacks in Nigeria and across the Sahel (region) are deeply concerning. The scale and brutality of some of these incidents are really troubling.”
General Langley, who spoke with journalists on Friday May 30, 2025 during the U.S. Department of State’s Africa Regional Media Hub also gave insights into U.S. AFRICOM’s cooperation in helping Nigeria to combat Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP as well as pirates in the Gulf of Guinea, said his country is monitoring events in the region and “sharing intel with the Nigerian and also regional partners.”
Saying that the U.S. is “committed to supporting one of the most capable militaries in the region, in Nigeria,” the AFRICOM Commander however regretted that his country’s withdrawal from the Sahel region means that “we have lost some of our ability to monitor terrorist attacks closely.”
Specifically, General Langley said: ““The recent attacks in Nigeria and across the Sahel are deeply concerning. The scale and brutality of some of these incidents are really troubling. So we’re monitoring this closely and these events, and offering of sharing intel with the Nigerian and also regional partners in that area remains constant. We are committed to supporting one of the most capable militaries in the region, in Nigeria. Unfortunately, with our withdrawal out of the region, though, we have lost some of our ability to monitor terrorist attacks closely, but we continue to liaison with our partners to provide what support we can.
“I’ll just say that since we’ve left Niger in September of last year, we’re observing a rise in attacks by violent extremist organizations, not only in Niger but across the Sahel to include Nigeria as well and emanating in – going into Burkina Faso and Mali. Now, this increases – is measurable by both frequency and complexity of these attacks driven by persistent and socioeconomic grievances and the proliferation of weapons and increased capable terrorist groups across the board. So unfortunately with our withdrawal from the region, we have lost our ability to monitor these terrorist groups closely but continue to liaison with partners to provide what support we can.
On the level of cooperation with Nigeria in fighting terrorism, he said: “We respect nation sovereignty and only go where we’re asked as long as it aligns with U.S. national security objectives. I was just in Nigeria back in November, where I got to see firsthand how we actively work with and support Nigerian defense objectives. During my entire command, I’ve been on a campaign of learning, and when I was in Nigeria, I sat across from our Nigerian partners to hear how we can assist. Because again, the United States, we act with our partners, and in this particular case with Nigeria, we work together to combat Boko Haram and ISIS West Africa to promote regional security.
“Nigeria is a strategic African partner, and we have a long history of providing critical material and training support to Nigeria. It extends across from military sales, excess defense articles, and also training to go along with the foreign military sales. That’s a great example of how the law of armed conflict education goes with military training, and also, we’ve also had some intel sharing with them. So Nigeria is a leading supporter and previous host of Obangame Express as well, highlighting their role as a leader in the region.”
Acknowledging the deep security crisis in the Sahel region, the U.S. Marine Corps General stated: “The Sahel – that’s where we consider the epicenter of terrorism – Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are confronted with this each and every day; they’re in crisis. The terrorist networks affiliated with ISIS and al-Qaida are thriving, particularly in Burkina Faso, where the government has lost control of wide swaths of territory across their sovereign nation. Attacks are resurging in the Lake Chad region as well, and extremist groups are growing more aggressive.
“One of the terrorists’ new objectives is gaining access to West Africa coasts. If they secure access to the coastline, they can finance their operations through smuggling, human trafficking, and arms trading. This puts not just African nations at risk, but also increases the chance of threats reaching the U.S. shores.
“That’s why our coastal partners – Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Benin – are fighting fiercely along their northern borders to prevent terrorist expansion, and U.S. AFRICOM is standing with them.
“In East Africa, in support of the Somalia Federal Government, the U.S. is actively pursuing and eliminating jihadists. And at the request of the Somali Government, this year alone AFRICOM has conducted over 25 airstrikes – double the number of strikes that we did last year.
“Now, I will say AFRICOM’s goal is to deepen partnerships. It’s about the mutual goal of keeping our homeland safe, and it’s about long-term capacity, not dependence. It’s about empowering African nations to solve African problems, not just through handouts but through trusted cooperation.
“A safe and stable and prosperous Africa is not a charitable goal. It’s a strategic necessity for the United States and for our African partners. AFRICOM is leaning in with the targeted training in advanced intelligence sharing and to support institutions that endure long after exercises end or commanders rotate.”