But first, here’s our take on today’s top story:West Africa: The U.S. is seeking to base unarmed military reconnaissance drones in three West African coastal states—Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Benin. France and the U.S. technically ran discrete operations in the Sahel, but they shared intelligence and provided mutual material support. Now, with military takeovers in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger having forced the French military out of the Sahel, the U.S. position in West Africa has been significantly weakened. But while the U.S. may be shifting the center of its regional security strategy geographically, it does not appear to be shifting its overall strategy away from a military-first approach, which in all likelihood will lead to the same disappointing results as in the Sahel. Chris O. Ògúnmọ́dẹdé on how coastal West Africa is replicating France’s failed approach to fighting insurgencies, and why it’s time to rethink the region’s security challenges.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 04, 2024 20:33 UTC