In a marked shift from its traditional stance, the U.S. military is now advocating for its African allies to take on a more independent role in their own defense.
This change in tone was evident during the African Lion, the largest joint training exercise on the continent, where the U.S. military's top official in Africa, Gen. Michael Langley, emphasized the need for "burden sharing."
"We need to be able to get our partners to the level of independent operations," Langley stated in an interview with The Associated Press. He further elaborated on this point on the final day of the exercise, stating, "There needs to be some burden sharing."
According to ABC News, the four-week exercise, which involved troops from over 40 countries, focused on preparing for threats by air, land, and sea. The troops engaged in various activities, including flying drones, simulating close-quarters combat, and launching satellite-guided rockets in the desert.
This shift in messaging is a departure from the U.S.'s previous emphasis on the interwoven work of defense, diplomacy, and development. Instead, the focus is now on helping allies build their own security capacity, a priority that Langley attributes to President Donald Trump's Defense Department.
"We have our set priorities now protecting the homeland. And we're also looking for other countries to contribute to some of these global instability areas," Langley said, referencing U.S. support for Sudan.
This change comes as the U.S. military is looking to "build a leaner, more lethal force," which could potentially involve cutting military leadership positions in regions like Africa. This is happening even as America's rivals, such as China and Russia, continue to expand their influence in the continent.
China has launched its own extensive training program for African militaries, while Russian mercenaries are solidifying their role as the preferred security partner in North, West, and Central Africa.
Langley, who is set to leave his post later this year, admitted that the successes of the "whole of government approach" are not consistent. "I've seen progression and I've seen regression," he said.
Despite the new stance, many African armies remain ill-equipped, and insurgent groups continue to expand. A senior U.S. defense official noted earlier this month that Africa is seen as the epicenter for both al-Qaida and the Islamic State, with both groups having growing regional affiliates.
The U.S. has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on security assistance and has approximately 6,500 Africa Command personnel on the continent. However, in some regions, the U.S. faces direct competition from Russia and China, while in others, regional affiliates of al-Qaida and the IS still require direct military action, according to Langley.
The shift from a "whole of government" approach to more burden-sharing comes as concerns grow that escalating violence could spread beyond hotspots where insurgents have expanded their influence.
Parts of both East and West Africa have emerged as epicenters of violence. In 2024, over half of the world's terrorism victims were killed across West Africa's Sahel, a vast desert territory ruled by military juntas, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace.
Since Trump took office, the U.S. military has escalated airstrikes in Somalia, targeting IS and al-Shabab operatives. However, despite air support, Somalia's army remains far from being able to maintain security on the ground, Langley acknowledged.
"The Somali National Army is trying to find their way," Langley said, adding that they had regained some footing after years of setbacks. "There are some things they still need on the battlefield to be very effective."
In West Africa, the prospect of states being able to counter such threats seems distant, according to Beverly Ochieng, an analyst at Control Risks, a security consulting firm. Western powers have gradually scaled back their engagement in the Sahel, either by choice or after being pushed out by increasingly hostile governments.
"Many of them do not have very strong air forces and are not able to monitor the movement of militants, especially in areas where roads are very difficult to traverse, the infrastructure is extremely poor," said Ochieng, who specializes in the Sahel and Great Power competition in Africa.
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