Biden’s new Africa strategy is shortsighted and stale
The administration hasn’t learned from past mistakes, is overly focused on great power competition, and can’t quit the counterterror lens.
The administration hasn’t learned from past mistakes, is overly focused on great power competition, and can’t quit the counterterror lens.
We know that counterterrorism programs are not helping, but some of the non-military plans long abandoned by the US could work.
With tensions rising between Paris and the junta in Bamako, a pause in the relationship would benefit both sides and align with US interests.
But a potential opening to resolve local conflicts in Burkina Faso could provide a model to turn US security assistance on its head.
AFRICOM says it promotes human rights and rule of law but doesn’t know why trainees are overthrowing their own governments.
The West’s counterterrorism project will likely continue throughout the Sahel, despite a lack of reflection on Paris’s part.
Washington is looking for ways to rationalize its primacy over China and the media is all too happy to comply.
Nine US mentees have overthrown governments since 2008, including one last week. Meanwhile, extremist attacks have increased 70 percent.
A rash of government overthrows in the Sahel illustrates the danger of prioritizing counterterrorism while ignoring obvious warning signs.
Just because Biden is trying to patch things up with Macron doesn’t mean he should continue to fuel a dead-end policy.
The House passed a bill that sounds good superficially, but doesn’t end the useless militarized approach or get to root problems.
US security assistance to partner militaries for counterterrorism missions further destabilizes the region.
Thinking has changed. Therefore, outside powers must avoid the same mistakes in Mozambique.
During Trump’s tenure, the French president said NATO was in a ‘brain death’ spiral and was talking up a European army.
US policymakers routinely see the African continent as a battlefield in the so-called “war on terror” rather than the opportunity for economic partnership that it is.
There simply is no military-only, or even military-centered, solution to ridding West Africa and the Sahel from terrorism.
The number of extremist groups in North Africa have only grown as the U.S. military presence there has expanded.