NAIROBI, KENYA – General Michael E. Langley, Commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), has issued a stark warning regarding the deteriorating security situation in Burkina Faso, labeling the West African nation the “epicentre of global terrorism.” Speaking in a recent interview with Citizen TV, General Langley expressed grave concerns about the escalating strength of extremist groups in the country, particularly since Captain Ibrahim Traoré assumed leadership.
While acknowledging Burkina Faso’s sovereign right to determine its alliances and resource allocation, General Langley framed his comments as a “cautionary tale” from a military perspective. “Burkina Faso maintains their sovereignty, they make their decisions how they use their resources, they make their decisions who their resources go to for military support,” he stated.
However, his primary concern was the alarming rise in terrorist activity. “I wanted to illuminate that Burkina Faso is going in the wrong direction now,” Langley asserted. He specifically cited the growing presence and power of groups like ISIS, JNIM (Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimin), and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) within the country’s borders.
The AFRICOM commander underscored the critical need for increased resources to combat terrorism in Burkina Faso, describing it as “probably the weakest point.” He presented a grim timeline, noting that the strengthening of these extremist organizations has been evident “since 2022,” after General Traoré took power. “Just look at the numbers. It really has since 2022. I have been tracking the numbers since I took command,” Langley emphasized, clarifying that his assessment carries “no ill-will towards him [Traoré].”
General Langley’s remarks highlight the international community’s growing concern over the volatile security landscape in the Sahel region, and particularly the critical challenges facing Burkina Faso as it grapples with an increasingly emboldened terrorist threat. The comments signal a clear call for a re-evaluation of strategies to counter violent extremism in a nation deemed pivotal in the global fight against terrorism.
