Sarcouncil Journal of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences

Abstract: This study examines the effectiveness of United States counterterrorism and conflict prevention initiatives in the Sahel and Coastal West Africa from 2001 to 2025. Drawing on a comprehensive review of peer-reviewed publications and official reports, it evaluates the extent to which these interventions have enhanced regional and U.S. security interests. Findings reveal that despite over two decades of sustained engagement through programs such as the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership, AFRICOM operations, and the Global Fragility Act, terrorism in the Sahel has intensified rather than declined. The region now accounts for more than half of global terrorism-related deaths, with violence expanding southward into coastal states. While U.S. support has improved tactical coordination, intelligence sharing, and partner capacity, these gains have not translated into durable stability due to the dismantling of USAID, geopolitical competition, fragmented interagency coordination, and persistent governance as well as socio-economic problems. The analysis emphasizes that U.S. efforts remain operationally active but strategically inconclusive, constrained by weak institutional accountability and limited local ownership. It argues that mutual security between the U.S. and Africa requires a coherent, integrated approach linking defense, diplomacy, and development, emphasizing good governance and accountability. Sustainable stability in the Sahel and Coastal West Africa co-depends on both military superiority and locally grounded strategies that address the structural drivers of extremism.