By Our Reporter
The United States has warned that extremist groups linked to ISIS and al-Qaeda are increasingly relocating their operations to West Africa and other parts of the continent, identifying Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin as major fronts in its 2026 counterterrorism strategy.
In the newly released strategy document, Washington said terrorist activities had resurged across several African regions following the collapse of ISIS strongholds in Iraq and Syria.
According to the report, surviving members of the Islamic State and affiliated jihadist groups have shifted to Africa and Central Asia, taking advantage of weak security systems and poorly governed territories.
The document listed West Africa, the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, Mozambique, Sudan and Somalia as areas currently facing growing extremist threats.
“Subsequently, the surviving remnants of the world’s most dangerous terrorist group of the modern age were forced to relocate to Africa and Central Asia, exploiting ungoverned spaces there,” the strategy stated.
The US government said one of its major goals in Africa is to prevent terrorist groups from building operational bases capable of threatening American interests.
Washington pledged continued cooperation with governments battling extremist groups through intelligence sharing and counterterrorism support, while reducing direct US military deployments on the continent.
“We will continue to work together with governments threatened by groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda affiliates and assist them with actionable intelligence and counterterrorism partner-force development,” the document added.
The strategy also emphasised the protection of Christians targeted by terrorist organisations, describing it as a key priority for the administration of President Donald Trump.
The document criticised the foreign policy approach of former President Joe Biden, claiming it weakened global counterterrorism efforts and allowed extremist groups to regroup across Africa.
Referencing Nigeria, the report praised recent actions taken by Trump over attacks on Christians in the country.
“With the decisive action President Trump recently took in Nigeria, he made it clear that the slaughter of Christians will not go unchecked,” the document stated.
The strategy further noted that the US would maintain a “light military footprint” in Africa while encouraging regional governments to take greater responsibility for intelligence coordination and security operations.
According to the report, African countries possess enormous economic and social potential if governments can effectively secure their territories and deny extremist groups safe havens.