West Africa, Sahel terror groups remain threat to US interests, report says

The United States government has identified West Africa, the Sahel, and the Lake Chad Basin as some of the world’s most active and dangerous centres of terrorist activity, warning that jihadist groups operating across these regions continue to pose a direct threat to American interests and global security.

The warning is contained in Washington’s 2026 Counterterrorism Strategy document, which outlines the country’s evolving security priorities under President Donald Trump and signals a shift toward more targeted counterterrorism operations in Africa, rather than large-scale military deployments.

The report highlights what U.S. officials describe as a “resurgent terror threat” across multiple African regions, including Mozambique, Sudan, and Somalia, where extremist groups linked to Islamic State and Al-Qaeda are said to be expanding influence and increasing the sophistication of their attacks.

The U.S. counterterrorism strategy document outlined its assessment of the security situation in Africa, warning of rising extremist activity across several regions.

The document also emphasised that the United States will maintain a reduced military presence while strengthening intelligence-sharing and counterterrorism cooperation with African governments.

The Sahel and Lake Chad Basin—covering parts of Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon—have for years been major centres of insurgency activity involving groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

These groups have exploited weak governance, porous borders, and political instability to sustain operations, despite sustained military campaigns by regional forces and international partners. The U.S. has previously supported African-led counterterrorism efforts through training, intelligence sharing, and limited operational assistance.

More recently, shifting security alliances in parts of the Sahel, including military takeovers and the withdrawal of some Western forces, have created additional uncertainty around long-term counterinsurgency coordination.

The renewed U.S. focus signals that West Africa and surrounding regions remain central to global counterterrorism priorities, even as Washington reduces large-scale military deployments abroad.

For countries like Nigeria, which has faced more than a decade of insurgency in the North-East, the assessment reinforces concerns that extremist networks remain resilient despite military pressure and territorial losses.

On 25 December 2025, President Trump announced he authorized a “powerful and deadly strike” against an ISIS terrorist base in Northwest Nigeria.

This strike follows repeated warnings from President Trump over alleged religiously motivated violence in Nigeria.

In November, Trump publicly threatened military intervention and directed the U.S. Department of Defense to prepare for potential action in Nigeria.