US top military officers for critical talks in Africa after Niger ousting to secure foothold in the region

The United States military commander is making a rare trip to Africa for talks on maintaining some of his troops’ presence in West Africa, after US troops were forced to withdraw from Niger and Chad and the Sahel countries’ shift to Russia for security.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General CQ Brown arrived in Botswana on Monday (24 June) as the United States faces a critical inflection point in Africa after military junta-led Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are reassessing their ties to the US and the West and turning instead to mercenaries linked to Russia for security assistance. “I see several opportunities. And there are countries that are already working with us in West Africa,” General Brown told reporters before an annual meeting of African defense chiefs. The two key issues on the meeting’s agenda are he forced US troop withdrawals from bases in Niger and Chad and the potential to move some troops to other nations in West Africa.
Brown noted he would speak with several partners in the region to see how their relationships could be boosted that would “provide us the opportunity to put some of the capabilities we have in Niger,” including those related to counterterrorism and drone base there, “in several other locations.” Brown also said that Washington needs to have a dialogue with those African nations to see what type and size US military presence they would want, adding, “That’s why this conference is important.” The presence of both Brown and also USMC Gen. Michael Langley, the commander of all American forces in Africa, at the African defense chiefs’ conference signaled Washington’s intensifying interest in securing its foothold in the region as both Russia and China seek to expand their access to key resources and military sites.