There is no discernible change to date in the operations of Africom, one of seven United States (US) geographic commands worldwide, in the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s second presidential term.
The first 100 days of a US presidency took on a symbolic significance during Franklin D Roosevelt’ first term (1933 to 37). It is seen as a benchmark to measure a sitting president’s early successes. Trump’s 100 days in this term came up on 29 April.
His Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) headed, apparently on a temporary basis by Elon Musk, has seemingly yet to find the US armed forces as a target for personnel and budget cuts. Against this Trump’s Secretary for Defence, Pete Hegseth, this week alluded to coming cuts in senior personnel at the Pentagon.
On the ground is been business as usual for Africom, headed by US Marine Corps General Michael Langley and working from its Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany, headquarters.
This saw exercises Cutlass Express and Justified Accord taking place in Tanzania in February as well as Langley and senior Africom officers meeting with military and political leaders of Côte d’Ivoire ahead of Flintlock 25, the command’s annual combined special operations exercise late in April. Exercise Shared Accord between the US and South Africa is at present on track for August, with South Africa the host nation.
Earlier in April Langley was in Washington to present the Africom 2025 posture statement to the US Senate Armed Services Committee. In an assessment of the terrorist threat in and to Africa he told committee members there is a persistent and growing risk to regional and global security from violent extremists including ISIS, which according to him is directing global operations from Somalia and al-Shabaab.
“Left unchecked, they will have a direct effect on the [US] homeland,” the Senators heard him saying.
After Washington and in west Africa for the start of the special operations exercise, Langley highlighted the importance of joint exercises like Flintlock in enhancing readiness and lethality of participating forces. According to an Africom statement he is attributed as saying “increased capability is crucial for deterring terror organisations and other malign actors operating from Africa”.
On the eastern side of the continent February saw the first Africom directed air strike in Somalia under Trump, targeting ISIS-Somalia operatives in the Golis Mountains. The strike, as per a Pentagon statement, resulted in multiple militant casualties with no civilians harmed.
Since then Africom had overseen a further 11 air strikes against militant and terror organisations in Somalia. All were executed in co-ordination with the Somali federal government as part of continued action to “degrade” the ability of ISIS-Somalia to plan and conduct attacks “that threaten the US homeland, our forces and our citizens abroad” according to Africom.
