The security situation in West Africa, plagued by jihadist violence, is a "very important concern" for Washington, which is now prioritizing trade over development aid, Jacob Helberg, US Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, told AFP in Abidjan on Sunday.

The number of jihadist attacks in the Sahel has exploded in six years, rising from 1,900 in 2019, mainly concentrated on the border between Mali and Burkina Faso, to more than 5,500 in 2024 and 3,800 before October 10, 2025, in an area now twice the size of Spain, according to an AFP analysis based on data from the organization Acled.

These acts of violence have resulted in some 76,900 deaths and are now affecting countries in the Gulf of Guinea.

Present in Abidjan to represent President Donald Trump at the inauguration of President Alassane Ouattara on Monday, Jacob Helberg, US Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment, stated that security challenges in the Sahel are among the main concerns of the US administration.

"The region's security needs are a very important concern," he said, noting that these issues have direct repercussions on economic security and investment stability in the region.

In a context where Washington is strengthening its economic partnerships on the continent, particularly with Ivory Coast, Mr. Helberg stressed that stability was an essential prerequisite for any American investment.

"If Americans are going to take risks to invest, that investment must be reliable and secure," he insisted.

Since returning to the White House, the Trump administration has been focusing on trade rather than aid in Africa.

In recent weeks, several senior American officials have visited Bamako, Ouagadougou and Niamey, three Sahelian capitals where juntas have seized power, to offer "the American solution" to "terrorism" and promote American private investment.

A new approach from Washington towards the Sahel countries, to which the administration of President Joe Biden had suspended a large part of its development aid after the successive coups that brought military officers to power in these three countries between 2020 and 2023.

Mr. Helberg confirmed that diplomatic discussions between Washington, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso are "still ongoing", stating that it would be "premature" to comment on their results.

"The region's security problems are a regional issue, much more than a national one," he insisted.

In mid-November, the three Sahelian countries told the UN they were "fully prepared to cooperate with countries in the region and all partners who wish to do so."