The White House released the Trump administration’s 2026 Counterterrorism Strategy (CT) on May 6, outlining a “partner-led” counterterrorism framework for East Africa that places regional governments at the center of operations against Al-Shabaab and ISIS-linked groups.
The 16-page strategy identifies Somalia as one of the areas where ISIS remnants and Al-Shabaab continue operations after the collapse of the ISIS caliphate in Iraq and Syria. The document states that surviving extremist networks relocated to parts of Africa and Central Asia following what it describes as failures in counterterrorism policy under former President Joe Biden.
The strategy states that the US has two goals in Africa: preventing jihadist groups from establishing operational bases capable of targeting American interests and responding to attacks against Christian communities by extremist organizations.
Under the framework, the administration plans to maintain what it describes as a “light military footprint” in Africa while requiring regional partners to take greater responsibility for frontline counterterrorism operations.
The US government intends to provide intelligence support, counterterrorism training, surveillance capabilities, and targeted operations against militant networks. The document also states that Washington is rebuilding bilateral counterterrorism relations with African governments and expanding intelligence-sharing arrangements with countries facing threats from ISIS and al-Qaeda affiliates.
“In Africa, we will maintain a light military footprint and expect regional and nearby partners to accept a greater portion of the CT burden, share effective intelligence, and degrade common threats as they arise,” reads the document.
It identifies Somalia, Sudan, Mozambique, the Sahel region, and the Lake Chad Basin as areas facing extremist threats. It also links security cooperation with expanded trade and commercial relations between the United States and African countries.
Washington’s 2026 Counterterrorism Strategy signals a structural shift in the Horn of Africa, mandating regional partners like the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) and the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission (AUSSOM) mission in Somalia to assume lead responsibility for frontline combat operations
The ENDF currently operates in Somalia under the AUSSOM and through bilateral security agreements with the Somali federal government.
