The US military is sharpening its focus on counterterrorism in Africa, a top general says, as it faces challenges including a newly announced alliance between a regional militant group and al Qaeda. General William ?Kip? Ward hinted it would make sense to establish a US military command on African soil, instead of running operations on the continent from thousands of miles away, as has been the case until now.

The Pentagon said in August it was considering creating a new military command for Africa. Responsibility for the continent is currently split between three separate US centres, including Stuttgart-based EUCOM. A single command, advocates argue, would help Washington focus better on its goal of denying sanctuary to militants who might find African havens in the same way that al Qaeda cultivated bases in Sudan and Afghanistan in the 1990s.