Gen. CQ Brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived in Gaborone, Botswana, to attend a chiefs of defense conference where the U.S. military’s forced withdrawals from Niger and Chad are pivotal topics. These withdrawals include relocating troops to other West African nations amid shifting alliances in the region. Military juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, which ousted democratic governments, are reconsidering their ties with the U.S. and turning to Russian-linked mercenaries for security support instead.
Brown emphasized that as the U.S. withdraws its 1,000 troops from Niger, other West African countries are interested in enhancing cooperation with the U.S., potentially allowing for an expanded American presence. The conference provides an opportunity for Brown to engage with African counterparts, understand their perspectives, and explore avenues for collaboration.
“There are other countries in the region where we already have relationships,” Brown noted, highlighting the potential to reposition capabilities previously based in Niger to other strategic locations.
The troop withdrawals have sparked concerns about combating rising extremism across Africa’s Sahel region, with groups affiliated with ISIS and al-Qaida gaining ground. The U.S. is particularly alarmed by the spread of extremist activities into coastal West Africa.
The geopolitical shifts have significant implications for U.S. strategy, especially after Niger’s junta expelled American forces and turned to the Wagner Group for security assistance, following a coup that ousted the democratically elected president. This move forced the closure of the Agadez drone base critical for counterterrorism efforts in the Sahel.
The conference in Botswana underscores the U.S.’s commitment to understanding and adapting to African nations’ security needs, seeking to forge partnerships based on local priorities rather than imposing external solutions.
