Gen. Michael Langley, U.S. Africa Command combatant chief, said he has briefed several African presidents and defense ministers of Washington’s plan to merge AFRICOM with the U.S. European command as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to trim American bureaucracy. According to Langley, he has advised the African officials to relay their stand on the plan through their ambassadors in the United States, Reuters reported Tuesday.
Learn more about the U.S. armed forces’ global activities by joining the talks and discussions of military and defense industry officials participating in the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Army Summit on June 18.
African Juntas’ Alliance With Russia
Reuters noted that U.S. security influence on the continent, particularly in West Africa, has diminished after successive military coups installed juntas that allied with Russia.
One downshift in U.S. military presence in Africa was seen in September when the Pentagon heeded a demand from the ruling junta in Niger to withdraw nearly 1,000 U.S. military personnel in the country and abandon a $100 million drone base.
Nonetheless, some intelligence-sharing has been maintained between the United States and military regimes in the Sahel region of western and north-central Africa, Langley noted in a meeting with reporters before attending the AFRICOM-led 2025 Africans Chiefs of Defense Conference that opened Wednesday in Nairobi. The AFRICOM commander is scheduled to hold a digital press briefing on the event Friday, according to a U.S. Department of State announcement last week.
Brig. Gen. George Dietrich, AFRICOM logistics director, told the online news website The East African that the conference offers participants the opportunity for open discussions, knowledge sharing and collaboration on military matters, including emerging technologies, professional military training and civilian-military cooperation.