U.S. official says Morocco emerges as regional counterterrorism leader in North Africa

North African countries, with support from the United States, have made significant progress in counterterrorism over the past decade, with Morocco emerging as a key regional partner, a senior U.S. State Department official said.

Joel Burkert, deputy coordinator for programs and military coordination at the State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism, told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing that Morocco has increasingly taken responsibility for addressing terrorist threats through U.S.-funded training programs.

“Morocco is now training security forces across sub-Saharan Africa using curricula provided by the U.S. government,” Burkert said, citing cooperation through programs involving the Diplomatic Security Service. He added that as U.S. counterterrorism programs in the region scale down, Washington encourages other countries to follow Morocco’s example of regional cooperation.

Burkert said the administration of President Donald Trump remains firmly committed to preventing major terrorist attacks against the United States, guided by what he described as a policy of “peace through strength.”

He said a central mission of the bureau is assisting frontline partner countries in countering shared terrorist threats, noting that such cooperation directly contributes to U.S. national security by disrupting networks, securing borders and holding state sponsors of terrorism accountable.

While terrorist threats in North Africa have declined, Burkert warned that instability in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa continues to pose challenges. Groups such as the Islamic State exploit weak border controls and vast, sparsely populated areas in the Sahel to move fighters, weapons and funds, he said.

Burkert also highlighted U.S. efforts to stop terrorists before they reach American borders, including strengthening visa systems, expanding information sharing on high-risk travelers and improving border screening procedures.

He said Washington’s designation of three branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt as foreign terrorist organizations or specially designated global terrorists has provided new tools to combat terrorist activity and financing.

Burkert concluded that counterterrorism will remain a top U.S. priority, adding that North Africa includes “increasingly capable and self-reliant partners” with whom the United States will continue to work to identify and eliminate threats to shared security.