US Africa command pledges support in fight against West Africa terrorism

The Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Dagvin Anderson, has raised alarm over the growing terrorist threat in West Africa, warning that violent extremism is spreading beyond the Sahel toward coastal countries, including Ghana.

Speaking on Africa Connect on JoyNews on February 24, 2026, General Anderson said extremist groups have entrenched themselves in the Sahel’s vast ungoverned spaces and are steadily expanding their reach.

"Unfortunately, we're very concerned about it. The violent terrorist threat is continuing to spread. It's taken root in the Sahel and it's continued to expand," General Anderson stated.

He explained that terrorist networks displaced from other parts of the world have regrouped in the Sahel, exploiting weak state presence to build new operational bases.

"One of the things that we do at AFRICOM and within the U.S. military is we look at these terrorist threats globally. So we understand how these networks evolve and move. And what we have seen is that a large portion of that network has migrated into the Sahel. They found refuge there in ungoverned space and they have taken advantage of that," he explained.

Beyond the conflict zones, he noted, the effects are being felt by ordinary people through displacement, instability, and cross-border violence. He cited recent incidents in which Ghanaian traders lost their lives to extremist attacks while conducting business across the border.

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"My heart goes out to the Ghanaians that were up there just doing trade working, who were also killed by violent extremists, just doing their daily job. And so this is the terrible place that that instability brings, not just in those isolated areas," he said.

General Anderson stressed that tackling the threat requires collective action among regional partners.

"We are very concerned about that. And that's a large portion of the reason why I've been traveling to many countries around the region, is to look where we can partner, because no one nation can take this threat out alone," Anderson added.

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His remarks come as Ghana and other coastal West African countries tighten security along their northern borders amid escalating attacks in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.

NA/AM

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