From Pretoria To The Sahel: US Deepens Diplomatic & Security Engagement In Africa

By FRANKLIN FRANCIS FREY

Washington Escalates Pressure on South Africa

THE United States has intensified its engagement with Africa on two fronts: diplomatic pressure against South Africa and expanded attention to the continent’s growing terrorist threat.

Washington has imposed visa restrictions on some South African officials over allegations of race-based discrimination, threats of land expropriation without compensation and incitement of violence against minority groups. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the restrictions followed what Washington described as Pretoria’s failure to adequately address earlier concerns.

The United States has not publicly identified the officials affected. It has, however, warned that the visa restrictions could be followed by further measures.

The action adds to a deteriorating relationship between Washington and Pretoria since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. The dispute has included disagreements over South Africa’s land policies, its treatment of Afrikaners, trade and Pretoria’s legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has repeatedly rejected allegations that his government is targeting white citizens.

Land Reform Remains at the Centre

Land ownership remains one of South Africa’s most politically sensitive issues.

Apartheid-era laws severely restricted Black South Africans’ access to land, leaving a deeply unequal ownership structure that has persisted decades after apartheid ended.

The government has therefore pursued policies aimed at correcting historical disparities. Washington has criticised aspects of those policies, particularly legislation allowing land expropriation under certain circumstances.

The Trump administration has also previously accused South Africa of failing to protect white farmers and has promoted the admission of white South Africans as refugees. Independent observers have disputed some of the administration’s earlier claims about widespread attacks and alleged “white genocide.”

The latest restrictions therefore sit within a much wider disagreement over race, land ownership and the legacy of apartheid.

Terrorism Creates a Different Security Challenge

While Washington is applying diplomatic pressure to Pretoria, the US military is also warning that violent extremist organisations across Africa are becoming more capable and interconnected.

Lt. Gen. John Brennan Jr., Deputy Commander of the United States Africa Command, said African jihadist groups have become more adaptive, lethal and capable of exploiting technology, resources and weakly governed areas.

He warned that terrorist organisations can expand when they encounter limited counterterrorism pressure, moving across borders and establishing new networks.

The threat extends beyond the Sahel. Groups linked to al-Shabaab and ISIS remain active in East Africa, while Islamic State-linked militants operate in parts of Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The groups differ in ideology, organisation and local circumstances. Yet US officials increasingly view their ability to move people, money, weapons, technology and propaganda across borders as a broader regional security problem.

East Africa & the Wider African Security Picture

For AFRICOM, East Africa remains particularly important because of the potential for terrorist networks based there to develop capabilities directed beyond their immediate areas of operation.

The US has carried out recent airstrikes against al-Shabaab in Somalia in coordination with the Somali government and security forces. AFRICOM says such operations are designed to disrupt militant capabilities before they can threaten US personnel, citizens or partners.

At the same time, Washington continues to work with African governments on intelligence, military training, border security, maritime security and other areas of defence cooperation.

AFRICOM’s recent activities also include security cooperation with countries such as Ghana and Angola. Its engagement with Nigeria includes military assistance intended to strengthen Nigerian-led counterterrorism efforts.

Technology, Crime & Terrorism Converge

Brennan’s assessment also points to a growing convergence between terrorism and organised crime.

Terrorist organisations can exploit drug trafficking, illicit finance, weak borders and poorly governed territories to expand their influence.

Technology has added another layer. Armed groups can use digital tools to recruit, communicate, spread propaganda, raise funds and coordinate operations.

That makes counterterrorism increasingly dependent on intelligence-sharing and technological capabilities rather than military force alone.

The US has consequently placed greater emphasis on helping African partners develop their own capacity while deploying American intelligence, surveillance, special operations and precision-strike capabilities when Washington considers them necessary.

Security & Economic Stability

The US military’s assessment also links security to economic development.

Where insecurity persists, investment, trade and employment can suffer. At the same time, unemployment, poverty and weak state institutions can create conditions that criminal and extremist organisations exploit.

For countries such as Nigeria, the challenge is therefore broader than defeating individual militant groups.

It includes securing borders, improving intelligence cooperation, disrupting terrorist financing, protecting maritime routes and creating economic opportunities that reduce the appeal of criminal and extremist networks.

A More Assertive US Role

The two developments involving South Africa and African terrorism illustrate different aspects of Washington’s changing relationship with the continent.

In South Africa, the United States is using diplomatic and economic pressure to challenge policies it considers discriminatory.

In the security sphere, it is expanding cooperation with African partners while maintaining the capacity to conduct direct military operations against groups such as al-Shabaab.

The approaches are different, but both reflect a more active US posture towards Africa.

For African governments, the challenge will be to manage relations with Washington while protecting national policy choices and strengthening their own security and economic institutions.

The continent’s relationship with the United States is therefore likely to remain shaped by two competing imperatives: diplomatic disagreements over governance and policy on one hand, and growing cooperation against transnational security threats on the other.