Will Meeker

Apr 15, 2024 | foreignpolicy.com | Daniel Twining |Will Meeker

The latest evidence that Washington needs a new Africa policy is on display in Niger. After many months of intense political jockeying, the United States’ security partnership with the country looks likely to end. Following a recent visit by Molly Phee, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs, and Gen. Michael Langley, the chief of the U.S. Africa Command, the Nigerien junta abruptly declared more than a decade of training and operational partnership to be over.

Feb 15, 2024 | justsecurity.org | Patrick Quirk |Will Meeker

In a strong signal of renewed U.S. engagement in West Africa, Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently visited Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Cape Verde and pledged an additional $45 million to combat instability in the region. This investment brings the amount of U.S. assistance to West Africa to $300 million over the last two years, reflecting concerns that broader problems combating terrorism in the Sahel overall will also likely affect coastal West Africa.