“African countries… they’re not asking us to pull them up. They’re already there. They want us to respect their sovereignty. Treat them as equal partners. And that’s what we have been doing,” the US General said.
Nigeria and its West African neighbours are facing one of the most volatile security environments in decades, and according to outgoing US Africa Command (AFRICOM) Commander, Michael Langley, the stakes could not be higher:
“If they win, West Africa wins. The Sahel wins,” the US Marine general told PREMIUM TIMES in an interview at the Pentagon on 4 June.
Mr Langley sat down with Pearl Matibe for a final conversation before his retirement. It was a rare, one-on-one opportunity to speak frankly about the fight against terrorism, the role of African youth, and what Nigeria–and the entire region–must consider moving forward.
Mr Langley, who retires after 40 years of service in the US Marine Corps and nearly three years leading AFRICOM, issued both a warning and a vote of confidence in Nigeria’s long-standing military partnership with the United States.
“We work closely with Côte d’Ivoire. We work closely with Benin–trying to help them,” he said. “But I encourage all of them to do bilateral-type coordination, because the intent of what I see, especially with the ISIS factions, is to move to the coast–to West Africa.”
It is a wake-up call for Nigeria and the region. The general was frank about the collapse of major security structures in the Sahel, such as the G5 Sahel initiative and the Multinational Joint Task Force, led by Nigeria.
“From Chad all the way west through Mauritania–that large security construct from 2022–has regressed. Matter of fact, it is non-existent anymore,” Langley stated.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how the internal dispute within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) led to the regression of some of these transnational initiatives. Three military-led West African countries, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, have broken ties with ECOWAS and formed their own union, AES. Niger, which was a key member of the MNJTF, has since withdrawn from it.
The void left by those collapsing frameworks, Mr Langley said, has been filled by dangerous extremist networks.
“You have a number of factions–from JNIM to ISIS-Sahel–that are dominating, influencing, or even controlling a wide swath of territory. Almost 40 to 50 per cent in Burkina Faso,” he added.
For Nigeria, the risks are clear. Terrorist organisations are adapting, and their expansion strategies are focused squarely on coastal West African states. Mr Langley emphasised that African countries must move toward self-sufficiency in combating these threats.
“The idea is not dependence, but independent operations. African-led […]–with clear benchmarks for institutional capacity.”
No boots, no imposition–just respect. In a region where foreign military presence can trigger sensitivities, Mr Langley’s message was striking. “We don’t impose ourselves–AFRICOM–on them. We still engage. And we’re here to help.” This reaffirmed a consistent theme throughout Mr Langley’s command: respect for African sovereignty.
“African countries… they’re not asking us to pull them up. They’re already there. They want us to respect their sovereignty. Treat them as equal partners. And that’s what we have been doing.”
At the 2025 African Chiefs of Defence Conference (ACHOD25) held in Nairobi, Kenya, Mr Langley met with Nigeria’s Major General Emeka Onumajuru during a bilateral engagement aimed at strengthening defence ties between the United States and Nigeria. This meeting, set against the backdrop of ACHOD25–a gathering of senior military leaders from 37 African nations and multiple US service components–underscored AFRICOM’s commitment to enabling African-led solutions to shared security challenges. Their dialogue focused on deepening military cooperation, enhancing regional interoperability, and countering transnational threats in West Africa, with an emphasis on sovereignty, partnership, and mutual respect.
During his tenure as AFRICOM’s commander and beyond the battlefield, Mr Langley made space for a much deeper conversation–one rarely prioritised by top brass: the role of Africa’s youth in the continent’s future.
“I used to do that when I was younger,” he recalled. “I was a young captain in southeast D.C. during the crack wars, reaching out to the youth through the Young Marines Program.” That same ethic, he said, guided his engagements with African youth.
“I did that across the continent of Africa–working with the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and with kids over in a community called Shining Hope for Communities in Nairobi.”
In Kenya, he was inspired by local change makers whose work in informal settlements offers a hopeful model. “That’s where I draw inspiration.”
Throughout his tenure, Mr Langley has credited Africa’s younger generation as essential actors in the continent’s fight against violent extremism–as builders of peace.
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“The enduring solution for terrorism is not just military. It’s law enforcement. It’s communities. It’s civil-military relations. It’s the Imams. It’s the teachers. That’s what stabilises a region,” he said.
With 40 years in uniform and his final assignment as AFRICOM commander now concluded, Mr Langley’s focus shifts back to home. He says he’s looking forward to seeing his 93-year-old parent in Fort Worth, Texas, and re-engaging with underserved communities across America.
“I look at my own homeland and various neighbourhoods across the country. I’ll be doing my part back home.”
Still, his message to West Africa–including to Nigeria–remains urgent and enduring. When picking a partner, countries should “look at their track record,” he said.
As Nigeria continues its fight against Boko Haram, ISWAP, and transnational terror threats spilling over from the Sahel, Mr Langley’s final reflection is a call to leadership–for African countries to choose wisely, lead boldly, and invest deeply in their people.
“If they win, West Africa wins.”
Pearl Matibe is a Washington, DC-based geopolitical analyst and correspondent covering the Pentagon and White House, with expertise in foreign and defence policy. Follow her on Twitter: @PearlMatibe.
