Photo: General Michael Langley
The head of the US Africa Command strongly supported the country's anti-terrorism strategy on the continent and promised to push it forward, despite a wave of criticism and an emerging trend among African countries to turn to Russia for security assistance.
In an Associated Press interview recorded during the African Lion military exercise, in Morocco, General Michael Langley attributed anti-American sentiment in unstable regions to a flood of Russian disinformation.
The military needs to clearly show how its long-standing strategy can bring stability to the Sahel, he said. semi-arid region south of the Sahara.
Six thousand U.S. troops in Africa faced new challenges when the governments of Chad and Niger, two key regional allies, began to favor Russian forces and militias.
< p>At the same time, they demanded that the US military leave positions that were previously recognized as critical to monitoring security problems.
"The last couple of years have seen negative sentiment towards one of our most valuable allies, France, if you look at social networks and media in general– Langley said. – To a large extent, these negative sentiments were fueled by disinformation from the Russian Federation..
"We need to convey our point of view on events.", – he added.
Prepared by: Sergey Daga