U.S. security priorities in the Horn of Africa gained fresh momentum this week as the head of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), Lt. Gen. John Anderson visited Ethiopia, Somaliland and Puntland to reinforce Washington’s commitment to applying maximum pressure on ISIS, al-Shabaab and other extremist networks destabilising the region.
The engagements focused on strengthening operational coordination and deepening intelligence-sharing frameworks that Africom considers essential to preventing militant expansion across East Africa.
Anderson reiterated that the United States supports maximum pressure on ISIS, al-Shabaab, and other violent terrorist organisations.
“The whole reason I came here is because we have shared threats,” Anderson said. “I’m not new to this region; I understand what the issues are, and we’re here to help empower our African partners to address these threats in a united way,” Anderson noted.
U.S. Gen. Anderson met Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Defense Chief Field Marshal Birhanu Jula Gelelcha to discuss the growing ISIS and al-Shabaab threat.
In Somaliland, he held talks with President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, Brig. Gen. Niman Yusuf Osman, and Coast Guard commander Adm. Ahmed Hurre Hariye, and also inspected the security and operational capacity of the Berbera port.
His final stop was Puntland, where he met Vice President Ilyas Osman Lugatoor, Gen. Adan Abdi Hashi, and other senior leaders to strengthen joint counterterrorism efforts.
Anderson praised Puntland’s maximum-pressure campaign against ISIS in the Golis Mountains, acknowledging their success while stressing the need to intensify operations.
U.S. influence meets rising competition in Africa’s shifting security landscape
Anderson’s tour comes at a time when the geopolitical contest for Africa is intensifying. The Horn remains central to U.S. strategy, both as a buffer against extremist organisations and as a crucial maritime corridor linking global trade routes.
But Washington’s influence is increasingly challenged by China’s expanding security cooperation and Russia’s deepening military partnerships across the continent.
AFRICOM itself has faced scrutiny in recent years.
During the tenure of its previous leadership under Gen. Michael Langley, the command was repeatedly accused by civil society groups, independent analysts and some African political actors of harbouring “sinister plots” aimed at entrenching U.S. military influence rather than supporting African-led solutions.
Criticism centred on concerns about covert operations, transparency lapses surrounding drone strikes, and fears that the command’s growing footprint risked militarising fragile states.
While Washington dismissed the claims as “misinterpretations” of its counterterror mandate, the controversies fuelled broader debates about the long-term role of foreign militaries in Africa.
As these tensions play out, African states are pushing for stronger agency over their security architecture.
Regional blocs such as IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development), and the East African Community have expanded their peace enforcement roles, while the African Union continues to refine mechanisms to strengthen continental responses without overreliance on external powers.
