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General Langley

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Photo by: U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs 

U.S. Marine Corps General Michael Langley, commander, U.S. Africa Command, delivered the 2023 U.S. Africa Command posture statement before the Senate Armed Services Committee March 16.

“Our entire team [at USAFRICOM] is laser focused on the implementing our whole of government approach with our partners from the Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development, the intelligence community, and other U.S. government organizations,” Langley said. “We campaign with our allies and partners to advance mutual interests and to promote stability and prosperity on the African continent.”

Outlining the command’s strategy of working with allies and partners to advance mutual interests across the region, Langley told members of the SASC that achieving national goals will only be accomplished through a synchronized whole-of-government strategy.

“Terrorism, poverty, food insecurity, climate change, and mass migration shatter African lives and sow the seeds of violent extremism and Russian exploitation. Solutions to these colossal problems must be a shared burden and African nations need to be at the helm of a concerted international effort to produce sustainable results, sustainable outcomes,” he said.

During the two-hour hearing, Langley answered questions from committee members on topics ranging from Chinese activities in Africa and resourcing requirements to the command’s assessment of the extent of Russian destabilizing activities.

In a statement provided to the committee, Langley highlighted that the Kremlin tramples African interests by leveraging Wagner, a U.S.-designated transnational criminal organization, to aggravate weak governance and feed instability.

"Russia's Wagner mercenaries turn chaos into cash,” he said.

Also testifying during the hearing was U.S. Army Gen. Michael Kurilla, commander, U.S. Central Command.

To read more, visit the 2023 Posture Statement and video available on the Command’s website at https://www.africom.mil/about-the-command/2023-posture-statement-to-congress