The senior United States (US) soldier in Africa told the US Congress that global events, including Russia’s war on Ukraine and Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, have impacted the lives of millions of Africans. US Marine Corps General Michael Langley, current US Africa Command (Africom) Commander, said: “Terrorism, poverty, food insecurity, climate change and mass migration shatter African lives”. Africom espouses the 3D approach: diplomacy, development and defence professionals, to ensure a synchronised whole-of-government effect. Langley emphasised the need for a comprehensive whole-of-government approach as it relates to US engagement in Africa because it provides an intrinsic value competitors cannot match. We operationalise the toolkit of security co-operation [including institutional capacity building, multinational exercises as well as intelligence and information sharing],” Langley said.