Keypoints:
- US mulls eliminating AFRICOM in major restructuring
- Gen. Langley urges African leaders to lobby Washington
- Review follows Sahel coups and rising Russian influence
THE United States is considering dismantling its Africa-focused military command, AFRICOM, and has called on African governments to voice their support or risk losing the strategic platform altogether, General Michael Langley, commander of US Africa Command, said on Tuesday.
Speaking ahead of a high-level defence summit in Nairobi, Langley confirmed that the US administration under President Donald Trump is actively reviewing whether to fold AFRICOM into the US European Command (EUCOM) in a bid to streamline operations and reduce bureaucratic overlap.
The possibility of eliminating AFRICOM, created in 2008, has raised concern among African nations who see the command as central to regional stability and security partnerships with Washington.
Washington puts pressure on African allies
Langley told reporters he had personally discussed the issue with several African heads of state and defence ministers, urging them to act if they wish to retain AFRICOM in its current form.
‘I’ve talked to a number of ministers of defence and a few presidents and told them we were assessing,’ he said. ‘If we’re that important to you, you need to communicate that. That’s what I tell them.’
He encouraged African governments to make their views known through diplomatic channels, especially their embassies in Washington.
Strategic command under threat
Before AFRICOM’s creation, US military responsibilities in Africa were split across three other regional commands. AFRICOM’s establishment reflected growing US interest in Africa’s evolving security landscape, particularly in countering terrorism and competing with China and Russia for influence on the continent.
The command has since played a vital role in coordinating military training, intelligence sharing, and counter-insurgency efforts across regions including the Sahel, Horn of Africa, and West Africa.
But recent political upheavals and shifting alliances have forced a re-evaluation of AFRICOM’s relevance.
Sahel coups and Russian realignment
A wave of military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger has severely disrupted US security cooperation. In 2024, Niger’s junta ordered the withdrawal of nearly 1,000 US troops and the shutdown of a $100 million drone base, long seen as a pillar of America’s surveillance network in the Sahel.
As US ties fray, Russia has stepped in, offering military support and political backing to the new regimes, further eroding American influence in the region.
Langley acknowledged the growing disconnect but said the US still maintains limited intelligence-sharing arrangements with Sahelian governments and is exploring new ways to stay engaged.
‘We are looking for other ways to continue to stay engaged,’ he said.
High stakes for African security cooperation
The potential scrapping of AFRICOM signals a broader recalibration of US global priorities, as Washington shifts focus to great-power competition with China and Russia in other theatres.
However, African leaders warn that shuttering AFRICOM could create a dangerous vacuum, weakening existing security frameworks and emboldening extremist groups.
This week’s African defence chiefs summit in Kenya is expected to feature intense discussions over the command’s future, with several countries weighing coordinated lobbying efforts in Washington.
AFRICOM’s uncertain trajectory now hinges on whether African governments can present a united case to preserve it.
