The United States has continued to maintain discreet communication channels with the militaries of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, despite the formal collapse of broader security cooperation following a wave of military takeovers in the region.
The disclosure, made by a senior U.S. military official, underscores Washington’s recalibrated counterterrorism strategy in the Sahel amid a surge in militant violence.
While official defence partnerships with the junta-led governments remain suspended, limited engagement has persisted, primarily focused on intelligence sharing aimed at disrupting terrorist operations.
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Lieutenant General John Brennan, deputy commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), confirmed that the United States continues to communicate with military counterparts across the Sahel.
Speaking to AFP, Brennan said Washington has, in select cases, shared targeted intelligence to support operations against Islamic State-affiliated groups, even as political conditions restrict deeper military collaboration.
According to reports cited by AFP and Malay Mail, the intelligence exchanges are narrowly scoped and operational, rather than a revival of full-scale security cooperation.
The approach reflects what U.S. officials describe as a more assertive counterterrorism posture across West and Central Africa, shaped by the growing reach of extremist groups.
The continued intelligence coordination comes despite the AES governments’ visible shift toward Russia and the steady decline of Western influence in the region.
At the same time, Washington has intensified intelligence sharing, surveillance support, and military coordination with Nigeria, which remains a cornerstone of U.S. security strategy in West Africa.
The persistence of these communication channels highlights the complexity of Sahelian security dynamics. Although the military-led governments in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have publicly emphasised sovereignty and resistance to Western pressure, ongoing U.S. engagement suggests a pragmatic response to the scale and urgency of the militant threat.
For the wider region, sustained information-sharing could help restrict the cross-border movement and operational freedom of jihadist groups linking the central Sahel to coastal West Africa.
However, it also risks adding diplomatic strain, particularly as AES leaders continue to frame their security policies around independence from Western influence.
