内容摘要：See more photos from the severe storms in the South and Midwest

See more photos from the severe storms in the South and Midwest

The U.S. military’s new posture comes even though many African armies remain ill-equipped and insurgent groups expand.“We see Africa as the epicenter for both al-Qaida and Islamic State,” a senior U.S. defense official said earlier this month, noting both groups had growing regional affiliates and the Islamic State group had shifted command and control to Africa. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss the issue publicly.

Africa has rarely ranked high on the Pentagon’s list of priorities, but the U.S. has still spent hundreds of millions of dollars on security assistance and has roughly 6,500 Africa Command personnel on the continent. In some regions, the U.S. faces direct competition from Russia and China. In others, regional affiliates of al-Qaida and the IS still require direct military action, Langley said.The messaging shift from “whole of government” to more burden-sharing comes as fears grow that rising violence could spread beyond hotspots where insurgents have expanded influence and found vacuums in which they can consolidate power.Parts of of both East and West Africa have emerged as epicenters of violence. In 2024, more than half of the world’s terrorism victims were killed across West Africa’s

, a vast desert territory ruled by military juntas, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace. The group, which compiles yearly terrorism statistics, also foundaccounted for 6% of all terrorism-related deaths, making it the deadliest for terrorism in Africa outside the Sahel.

Since Trump took office, the U.S. military

, targeting IS and al-Shabab operatives. But despite air support, Somalia’s army remains far from being able to maintain security on the ground, Langley acknowledged.Although Norwegian authorities are not expecting an imminent conflict, if war comes to Northern Europe, Kongsberg could be critical.

The municipality, 85 kilometers (52 miles) southwest of the Norwegian capital Oslo with a population of around 27,000 people, is the headquarters of the Kongsberg Group, which makes high-precision weapons currently used in Ukraine. The company opened a new factory in 2024, ramping up production of advanced missiles used by multiple European countries.The town could also play host to troops if there is a conflict. In May, local authorities across the region met with the military to plan support for Western troops with logistics and healthcare in the event of a deployment.

“If the allies are coming to Norway, either staying, training, doing war work or in transit towards the east, we will have a big task for the whole community to support that,” Resser said.By readying for the worst, Resser said, the municipality also prepares for other — more likely — threats such as a pandemic,