Most Americans are oblivious to how deeply entangled we are in the conflicts in Africa.

Since U.S. Africa Command began operations in 2008, the number of U.S. military personnel on the African continent has jumped 170 percent, from 2,600 to 7,000. The number of military missions, activities, programs, and exercises there has risen 1,900 percent, from 172 to 3,500. Drone strikes have soared and the number of commandos deployed has increased exponentially along with the size and scope of AFRICOM’s constellation of bases.

The U.S. military has recently conducted 36 named operations and activities in Africa, more than any other region of the world, including the Greater Middle East.

U.S. Africa Command recently announced the completion of an armed drone base in the Nigerien city of Agadez.
AFRICOM is the fastest growing region in the U.S. empire.
In no small coincidence, it's also the region that is falling into violent chaos the fastest as well.

“Overall, militant Islamist group activity in Africa has doubled since 2012,” according to a recent analysis by the Africa Center.

There are now roughly 24 “active militant Islamist groups” operating on the continent, up from just five in 2010, the analysis found. Today, 13 African countries face attacks from these groups — a 160 percent increase over that same time span. In fact, the number of “violent events” across the continent has jumped 960 percent, from 288 in 2009 to 3,050 in 2018, according to the Africa Center’s analysis.

"I would tell you at this time, we are not winning."
- Maj. Gen. Marcus Hicks, AFRICOM

Until the past couple weeks the primary concern was the Sahel, where the French are leading the fight in their former colonies.
While these groups are known for their terrorism, they are increasingly attacking military bases.

In the last four months alone, attacks on military bases have claimed the lives of 230 soldiers, mainly in Mali and Burkina Faso, but also in Niger.

“The past couple of years has seen an exponential militant expansion in the subregion: in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger and the past three and a half months has seen the scope and characteristics change significantly,” said Héni Nsaibia, a researcher at the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. “It’s like each and every base is being overrun.”

In only 2019, in only Niger, there were 38 attacks targeted defense and security forces resulting in the killing of 132 members of defense and security forces.

Up until 2019 our biggest concern was Somalia, where we've been involved in the killing since 2006. Six new U.S. bases were built in Somalia in 2018 alone.
Yet Americans are unable to muster any concern about this conflict.
This headline was from last year.

Until a few weeks ago the Sahel was our biggest worry, but not anymore.
Now our biggest concern is Libya.

The State Department on Saturday expressed concern about the escalation of a conflict in Libya amid the reported presence of Russian mercenaries.
...
"External military intervention threatens prospects for resolving the conflict. We deplore attacks on innocent civilians and call on all sides to refrain from escalation," Ortagus said.

Forces led by the LNA's Khalifa Haftar have been supported by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russian mercenaries, according to the wire service, which cited diplomats and Tripoli officials.

A U.S. official told Reuters that the presence of the Russian forces is "creating a bloodier conflict."

This is so hypocritical that it's hilarious.
OK, so we are concerned because foreign forces like Russian mercenaries are helping Khalifa Haftar. Really?
Let's dump a cold splash of reality on this claim.
Forget for a moment that we destroyed Libya's government in 2011. Also forget that we had an armed drone shot down over Libya just last month.

President Donald Trump called Khalifa Haftar in April. The "two discussed a shared vision for Libya’s transition to a stable, democratic political system".
Haftar is a U.S. citizen, a CIA asset and a warlord leading a rogue army in Libya and has an open arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for war crimes.

Last year, Haftar launched a self-declared campaign to drive armed groups from Libya's second biggest city, Benghazi. He has refused to support a UN-backed unity government, based in the capital Tripoli, because his forces were once loyal to a rival government.
"The government in Tripoli is launching an offensive in Sirte against ISIL, and so we have this bizarre situation where Western governments are diplomatically and publicly supporting the government in Tripoli, but then their militaries are supporting Haftar in the east," el Bar said.

If that wasn't messed up enough, Turkey has stepped in to back the U.N.-recognized government in Tripoli, while Egypt continues to back Haftar's army.
Thus we have a full-scale proxy war going on in Libya, and we are in middle of it.

At least we aren't going to war with ALL of Northern Africa...for now.