U.S. Africa Command chief Gen. Michael Langley is starting to reshape the U.S. military presence on the continent following the U.S. military withdrawal from Niger.
Uncertainty about the next phase of the counter-terror fight in West Africa stems from America’s lost access to two critical counter-terror bases in Niger. In the east, international participants and troop numbers for the new African Union Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) have yet to be finalized less than three months before the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) ends on December 31.
In an exclusive interview at the VOA on Thursday, Langley said the Islamic State in Somalia had grown about twofold and explained how al-Qaida affiliate al-Shabab had taken advantage of tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia to increase recruitment.
Below are highlights from his discussion with VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb, edited for brevity and clarity:
On the growing U.S. partnership with Angola:
AFRICOM Chief General Michael Langley: Angola has displayed their leadership across southern Africa … I’m very encouraged by the actions of Angola.
With Angola and all the countries across the periphery, you have over 38 countries in Africa that have a shoreline. Economic viability is heavily dependent upon their economic exclusive zones … In the maritime and maritime awareness of some of these countries, we have a number of engagements, whether it be Exercise Obangame Express in Gabon this past summer … We have shared type objectives. They want to be able to stabilize and grow their economy through their fishing industries, but it's hampered by other countries that are going across their economic exclusive economic zones.
On Chinese aspirations for a second military base in Africa:
Langley: I think they do have, in my best military opinion, aspirations for another military base… We're actively watching.
On Russia’s Africa Corps:
Langley: As you can see, they're already in Mali. They're already in Burkina Faso and, to some degree, in Niger. They've been in CAR for a while, Central African Republic, and also in Libya. … (Wagner) has transitioned to the Russian MOD and the introduction of the Africa Corps, trying to replicate what we do best in partnering with these countries and trying to say that their security construct is better. It has proven not to be … I don't have particular numbers that they've introduced to Mali, limited numbers in Burkina Faso and also in Libya. It's in the hundreds. I'll just put it that way. It's not extensive just yet.
On how the disputes between Ethiopia, Somalia and others in east Africa are affecting the war against al-Shabab:
Langley: Well, it comes down to troop-contributing countries: who's going to play and who's going to be a troop contributing country in the transition from ATMIS to AUSSOM, and that starts at the end of the year. The sunset of ATMIS is 31 December, and then AUSSOM is supposed to take effect. The unknowns are who are going to be the troop-contributing countries to the AUSSOM construct…It is not finalized yet. That's the UN, that's the AU and that's the government of Somalia doing that. We're not in those discussions, but it's going to be revealed soon. I hope so. So, in the ATMIS construct, one of the anchor and frontline countries was Ethiopia. So that's what has me concerned. Ethiopia, especially in the South West State and their contributions to the liberation and stabilization, has been valuable … So time will tell if they can settle their differences and coalesce into a force that's very effective, because when they do work together, they're very, very effective at clearing out al-Shabab … There’re limited operations with the Ethiopians at this time.…Al-Shabaab leadership will try to exploit those disagreements and use that as a recruiting mechanism.
VOA: We’ve heard that they've had a stronger recruitment because of that situation. Would you agree with that?
Langley: Yes, I will agree with that. They have used that to their advantage.
On whether U.S. forces may be needed during that transition from ATMIS to AUSSOM to try to supplement security:
Langley: That's not what we're there for. We're there … helping President Hassan Mohamud be able to build his army. He's going through the force generation … all of our initiatives and our approach on the African continent, with our African partners, will be Africa-led and U.S.-enabled. So our piece of enabling is not our boots on the ground. We're there to advise and assist, and assist in the training, but the fight is theirs… That's not my mission… President Sheik Mohammed does not ask for our boots on the ground.
On June comments from senior U.S. defense officials who told VOA that al-Shabab had reversed Somali National Army gains in central Somalia:
Langley: I will say it ebbs and flows…They're still building the Somali National Army. So as they go on offensive operations, it is stress on the force. As they clear and liberate a region, you have to have a credible holding force there so stabilization activities and efforts can initiate and turn the populace and faith in the federal government of Somalia with the services they provide. So that's a very, that's a very fragile period. And if they can't sustain that, because they're moving to the next region or next district, it ebbs.
VOA: So that was what was happening in this instance. They couldn't hold the territory that they had gained?
Langley: Right.
VOA: And that's where your training is coming in, to try to get them ready to be able to hold that territory?
Langley: Exactly. It takes time. It’s an investment to build an army … so they have staying power, and they can also close the military and civilian divide, where the local populace will have faith in the federal government of Somalia and the national army that is there trying to hold.
On why he’s “cautiously optimistic” the Somali forces will be successful against al-Shabab:
Langley: We are at an inflection point. This is unknown territory … However, when I say I'm consciously optimistic, I'm looking at the whole-of-government effort. ... Every time I go there, stabilization activities are increasing…Yes, we need a credible holding force because sometimes the shadow governments of al-Shabab try to re-insert themselves back in that region and try to influence some of the local leaders … So it goes back and forth to some of these regions, but they're being overridden by some of the stabilization activities that USAID, the biggest contributor, has put forth.
On the collaboration between Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants and al-Shabab:
Langley: There’s probably aspirations. That’s something that we're watching closely but, you know, I will stay tight lipped on …
We're concerned, and we're closely watching that, because this can turn into a bad neighborhood real quick. This is a strategic choke point on the globe…That's where a lot of our commerce goes through. It could affect our global economy if those waters don't have free flow of commerce…
With the Houthis and their actions, and al-Shabab and their actions and (Somali President) HSM trying to keep them from coalescing, that can interdict the free flow of commerce across those waters of the Gulf of Aden, Bab-el-Mandeb, the Red Sea, and through the Suez Canal.
On reports Islamic State in Somalia leader Abdulqadir Mumin is now the leader of Islamic State:
Langley: We have to take it as credible … As far as who is the overall leader--and ISIS professes that--sometimes you’ve got to take that seriously, because that person may have an act or aspirations or put forth operations that can affect our homeland. So yes, we’ve got to take that seriously.
On Islamic State in Somalia’s growth:
Langley: I am concerned about the northern part of Somalia and ISIS growing in numbers, and also the possibility of foreign fighters growing there.
Oh, wow ... In the past year, it's probably grown, probably twofold. Now, I won't give numbers, but I'd say it's probably, it's more than what it was last year.
On whether France, the U.S. and Germany have failed the Sahel:
Langley: If we look at the numbers of the global index for terrorism across the Sahel … 40% of those killed across the globe came from the Sahel. So that's concerning. It emanated from, the ideology, I would say, emanated down through Syria, through the Maghreb. Arab Spring contributed to it. The fall of Libya contributed to it. That's how that has grown and metastasized to the numbers you have today…that jihad-type ideology is preying upon the civil society, preying upon the military-aged males.
We are engaging with coastal West African countries because as we look at what direction it’s metastasized, it’s on the northern regions of Cote D'Ivoire, Ghana and Togo and Benin. …They understand the enduring solution for terrorism …. it's not about kinetics. So that's why I don't just go see the militaries. I get with USAID, and we sit down with these, with these administrators that go out in the field.
On the possibility of southern Libya providing a solution to the U.S. bases challenge in the fight against terror in the Sahel:
Langley: We've affected the conversation… I went in and talked to both sides, the GNU and the LNA leadership, but also I want to say that this is very much in the diplomatic realm. …We need to affect unity to move forward. They are at an impasse, a political impasse, because, for us to fully be able to support building their capacity to fight terrorism, anything emanating from the Sahel, we do need them in agreement, in concert, working together as a joint force.
But I will tell you, you know, there is another elephant in the room--elephant in that country--and it's the Russian Federation. And so their activities are irrespective of the law of armed conflict, irrespective of rules-based order, irrespective to human rights. So we want to be the preferred partner. We don't tell them to choose. We don't give them ultimatums, but through our actions and whatever we offer in a value proposition that protects human rights, that's mindful of the laws of armed conflict, protects the civil society … both the GNU and LNA understand that, and they have made overtures that they do want to work with us. So we're in the nascent stages, but they need to address the political impasse that they have between the east and the west. And so our State Department is working that effort.
