US Secretary of State Antony Blinken vows to broaden support for the violence-plagued Sahel beyond just security, pitching that the United States is a better partner than Russia, which has been expanding its footprint in the region. In an exclusive interview with AFP, during the highest-level visit ever by a US official to Niger, Blinken calls for a more "holistic, comprehensive" approach— a move away from what is often seen as a military-first approach by the United States and former colonial power France. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES