AP Photo

he war in Afghanistan is drawing to a close, marking the end of more than a decade of continuous fighting in big, traditional conflicts. But even as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down, the United States is already committing to a series of smaller engagements in Africa that have the dangerous potential to become  larger conflicts.

The U.S. military has a presence in the Central African Republic, where U.S. special operators are assisting in the hunt for Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony. The Pentagon is building drone bases in Chad and Niger. In Nigeria,  U.S. troops are training the local military to fight against the Muslim extremist group, Boko Haram. They’re also supporting the NATO mission in Mali and have drones flying over both Somalia and Kenya. From the...