Pompeo starts tour of Africa

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said the US is working to determine what level of military forces is needed in West Africa to counter the rise of extremist violence in the region.
Following his visit to Senegal, Pompeo said he discussed the issue of the US military presence in West Africa with president Macky Sall amid reports that Washington intends to reduce troops in Africa.
“We did have a lot of conversation about security issues here, about America’s role in those. We’ve made it clear that the Department of Defense is looking at West Africa to make sure we have our force levels right. I was here as CIA director, so I know these security issues very, very well. We’ll get it right, we’ll get it right collectively; I’m convinced of that”, Pompeo told reporters.
“We have an obligation to get security right here, in the region – it’s what will permit economic growth and we’re determined to do that. And I’m convinced that when our review is done, we’ll have a conversation with not just Senegal, but all the countries in the region. We’ll deliver an outcome that works for all of us”, he added.
Senegal’s Foreign Minister Amadou Ba reiterated the country’s as well as the region’s hope for continued military support from the US: “We hope they will continue to support us in training and intelligence. This was discussed with the president of the republic”, he told reporters.
Pompeo left Senegal to go to Angola. After that he will travel to Ethiopia, as Washington seeks to counter the growing interest of China, Russia and other global powers in Africa. As a result of the billions of dollars in loans granted by China for infrastructure projects, Senegal has become Africa’s largest debt holder.