A shift appears to be underway in US-Africa relations, judging by the remarks of Vice President J.D. Vance and AFRICOM Commander General Michael Langley. Speaking to new US naval graduates on May 23, Vance talked about re-evaluating the American military role around the world and declared that “The era of uncontested US dominance is over" and that open-ended military engagements “belong to the past.”

Four days later General Langley, while attending an African defense chiefs’ meeting in Gaborone, Botswana, suggested that the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) might be integrated into Central Command (CENTCOM). “If we’re [AFRICOM] that important to (you), you need to communicate that and we’ll see,” Langley said, adding that the US is “reassessing” its military role in the continent. This sends a clear signal that Washington may dismantle or repurpose AFRICOM as part of broader cuts to US global military posture.

The statements, in line with President Donald Trump’s ‘America first’ mantra, reflect Washington’s growing impatience with costly foreign entanglements, while hinting at a fundamental transformation of how the US engages with Africa’s complex security landscape.

Since its creation in 2008, AFRICOM has served as the centrepiece of US military strategy on the continent. Over nearly two decades, the command has expanded its reach and budget significantly, shaping security partnerships and playing a pivotal role in regional conflicts. Yet today, AFRICOM’s future is uncertain, caught at the crossroads of shifting US priorities, rising African assertiveness, and intensifying competition from rival powers such as Russia and China.

Africa has long figured into the broader framework of US global military and political strategy. During the continent’s era of anti-colonial struggle and........

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