Washington (WDN) – In a striking revelation, the commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Michael E. Langley, has confirmed that the Islamic State group-ISIS (Daesh) has relocated the command center for its international operations to Somalia.

Testifying before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee on Friday, Gen. Langley warned that Daesh is now directly managing its global activities from Somali territory. He emphasized the growing threat posed by extremist groups across Africa and highlighted the continent’s dual role as both a vital strategic partner and a haven for terrorist networks exploiting governance gaps.

“Africa remains central to U.S. defense strategy,” Gen. Langley said, “but it’s also being weaponized by terror groups like Daesh to expand their global footprint. Their operations in Somalia are no longer local—they’re international in scope.”

He cautioned that if left unchecked, the group’s activities in Somalia could have direct consequences for U.S. national security.

AFRICOM, Langley added, is working to counter this threat by enhancing security cooperation with African nations. He cited joint military exercises such as FLINTLOCK, AFRICAN LION, and OBANGAME EXPRESS as key efforts to boost local defense capacities, improve interoperability, and forge stronger bilateral and multilateral security ties.

Daesh rose to global prominence in 2014 when its fighters seized vast territories in Iraq and Syria. Following the collapse of its so-called caliphate, the group shifted operations to more remote regions, including parts of Africa.

U.S. officials say Somalia has since become a critical node in Daesh’s transnational network.

Last year, on July 3, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on three individuals accused of financing Daesh operations in sub-Saharan Africa. Among them were Hamidah Nabagala, a Ugandan national based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and South African citizens Abubakar Swalleh and Zayd Gangat.

Intelligence reports from the U.S. and Uganda allege that Nabagala played a central role in the October 2021 bombings in Kampala, which targeted the Ugandan Parliament and Central Police Station.

As Daesh deepens its entrenchment in Somalia, AFRICOM’s concerns signal a potential new front in the global fight against terrorism—one where East Africa becomes the epicenter of extremist coordination and outreach.

WardheerNews