(MENAFN) US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau held a phone call with Mali’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop on Tuesday to discuss “shared security interests” in the Sahel, a region where Western forces have been expelled following criticism over their handling of a long-standing jihadist insurgency, according to reports.

“I had an excellent conversation with Mali’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop to discuss our shared security interests in the region. Look forward to greater cooperation!” Landau wrote on X. He also praised Mali’s military, saying the US “commends the armed forces of Mali in their fight against Islamic extremist militants,” including the Al-Qaeda-linked group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM).

JNIM has recently blocked fuel imports to Mali and reportedly attacked convoys attempting to reach the capital, Bamako. The country has faced recurrent jihadist violence since 2012, originating from Tuareg rebels and allied Islamist factions in northern Mali. The conflict later spread to Burkina Faso and Niger, prompting intervention by Western forces.

However, military governments in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger eventually expelled French troops, arguing that their involvement failed to stop attacks. In September 2024, the US withdrew its personnel and assets from a $100-million base in Niger after Niamey terminated a decade-long defense agreement that had allowed American troops and contractors to operate in the country. The Nigerien government criticized the US presence as ineffective and accused Washington of trying to dictate its alliances.

The Pentagon also removed staff from its only military site in Chad in April 2024 at the request of Chadian authorities. Earlier this year, the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) head, General Michael Langley, said in Kenya that the US is reevaluating its military footprint on the continent amid diminishing influence.

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