US General Langley sustains criticism of Traore over West Africa terrorism

US Africa Command (AFRICOM) chief Michael Langley. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

US Africa Command (AFRICOM) chief Michael Langley, has stood by his criticism of Burkina Faso's military ruler, Ibrahim Traoré, despite earlier backlash from Africans. 

Speaking on Citizen TV on Tuesday night, Langley defended remarks he made before the US Senate Armed Services Committee on April 3, in which he accused Traoré of prioritising the protection of his military junta over the needs of the Burkinabe people, including diverting resources such as the country’s $4 billion gold reserve.

Langley also told the committee that the Traoré regime was underfunding counterterrorism operations despite continued threats in the Sahel region, which he said have worsened since Traoré seized power in a 2022 coup.

“A lot of great things are going on to progress them [Burkina Faso] forward. But then when you look at the military part of it knowing that that's the epicenter of global terrorism, it was my time to illuminate that this is probably their weakest point and there needs to be sufficient resources going towards the fight against terrorism in that country,” he remarked.

Critics however felt offended by America’s meddling in the affairs of African countries as it seeks to counter the growing influence of China and Russia in the continent. 

Traoré, 36, is Africa’s youngest Head of State and has become a symbol of pan-African defiance against Western influence. Supporters have lauded his focus on development, framing it as a corrective to decades of ineffective civilian governance.

But, Langley underscored the sovereignty and independence of Burkina Faso adding that even then, American interests including security would not be compromised. 

“They maintain their sovereignty. They make their decisions on how they use their resources. They make their decisions who their resources go to for military support. My cautionary tale was just from a military perspective. I wanted to illuminate that it's going in the wrong direction,” he said.

He also warned that some of Traoré’s policies have emboldened terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIS.

Despite the criticism, Langley said the US remains open to working with Burkina Faso on counterterrorism efforts.

“They were invited to this conference. They were invited to the African Lion (an annual military exercise) in Morocco. We are moving forward because we have a shared goal,” he said.

Langley is currently in Kenya for the African Chiefs of Defence Conference, which began today.