U.S. diplomats are actively engaging in diplomatic endeavors across West Africa, aiming to forge partnerships with military-led governments amid rising violence from Islamist extremists and Russia’s expanding influence in the region.
However, articulating the nature of these partnerships has proven challenging for American officials.
Legal restrictions have constrained the type of assistance the U.S. government can provide following military coups that ousted democratically elected governments in countries such as Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
Insights from interviews with a range of current and former U.S. officials, analysts, and activists highlight the complexities surrounding this diplomatic mission.
