The Problem With a US Military Base in Nigeria

The Sahel, a vast swathe of semi-arid land south of the Sahara desert, has become a breeding ground for violent extremism in recent years. Insurgent groups like Boko Haram, Islamic State Sahel Province (IS Sahel)—formerly known as Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS)—and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), capitalizing on poverty, weak governance and ethnic tensions, have established a foothold across the region. These groups, along with Islamic State in the West African Province (ISWAP) and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), have launched brutal attacks on civilians and security forces, destabilizing countries like Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Despite regional counterinsurgency efforts by the G5 Sahel Joint Force and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), these countries remain under siege. The situation worsened with military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger between 2021 and 2023, further crippling regional cooperation to combat extremist groups.