The Voice News: The Sahel region of Africa has become the world’s new hotspot for terrorism, according to Gen. Michael Langley, the head of U.S. Africa Command. Speaking Thursday, the four-star Marine general warned that terror groups based in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have significantly expanded their operations and are increasingly capable of launching attacks on American soil.
“It is the flashpoint of prolonged conflict and growing instability. It is the epicenter of terrorism on the globe,” Langley said, highlighting the rapid rise of extremist activity in the region over the past three years.
Of greatest concern is Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), a group linked to al-Qaeda. According to Langley, JNIM has grown fourfold since 2022 and now controls large portions of Burkina Faso.
The warning comes as the Trump administration moves to cut aid to Africa and considers merging military command operations there with U.S. European Command, raising concerns about America’s long-term counterterrorism strategy in the region.