The U.S. military is shifting away from its historical emphasis on governance and development in Africa, now encouraging vulnerable allies to assume greater responsibility for their own security.
During African Lion 2025, the largest joint military exercise on the continent, Gen. Michael Langley, the top commander of AFRICOM, highlighted the importance of “independent operations” and “burden sharing.”
As more than 40 nations practiced combat tactics and drone warfare, the conventional U.S. message advocating a “whole-of-government” strategy has diminished.
This transition reflects a Trump-era initiative to focus on homeland defense and decrease foreign military presence, even as extremist threats continue to escalate.
With insurgencies gaining momentum and Africa now viewed as the “epicenter” of al-Qaida and Islamic State activities, many local forces are still inadequately equipped.
Langley acknowledged that Somalia’s military continues to face challenges despite years of U.S. assistance; analysts caution that reducing Western involvement, particularly in unstable areas like the Sahel, could enable extremists to flourish in the context of weak governance and inadequate infrastructure.
