Category: Military

Military

Inside the Secret World of US Commandos in Africa

BY NICK TURSE, SAM MEDNICK, AND AMANDA SPERBER | Mail & Guardian

United States Special Operations forces (SOF) — including Navy SEALs, Army Green Berets and Marine Corps Raiders — are the US military’s most highly trained soldiers, specialising in counterterrorism, counter-insurgency, and “direct action” combat raids, among other missions. Their operations are shrouded in secrecy.

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Military

U.S. Africa Command continues to develop Senegal’s Enlisted Development Strategy

By STAFF SGT. FLOR GONZALEZ, U.S. Africa Command

U.S. Navy Command Master Chief Ryan P. Burton, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) acting command senior enlisted leader, met with the Senegal Chief of Defense Lt. Gen. Birame Diop, his staff, and Senegalese command senior enlisted leaders Jan. 22-23, in Dakar City, Senegal.

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Military

US Air Force begins operations from new air base in Niger

Written by defenceWeb

The United States Air Force (USAF) has started limited flights from newly constructed facilities at Air Base 201 in Niger, which will later be used to carry out armed and unarmed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) missions in the region.

The USAF said limited, visual flight rule (VFR), operations were authorised by the US Air Force and Nigerien Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) from 1 August.

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Defense, Military

The U.S. Must Remain in Africa’s Fight against Boko Haram

By KAJ LARSEN

On Thursday, August 15, the international terrorist group Boko Haram attacked a military base and community in Nigeria, killing three soldiers. This comes on the heels of an even deadlier attack three weeks ago, when armed members of the group rode motorcycles into a funeral in northern Nigeria and opened fire on the procession, killing 65 mourners.

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Military, Partnership

Ethiopia, USA Sign MoU to Exchange Terrorist Screening Information

The United States of America and Ethiopia have signed a memorandum of understanding to exchange terrorist screening information.

Ethiopian National Intelligence and Security Services, Director-General, Demelash Gebremichael, signed the MoU with Charles H. Kable, Assistant Director for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Director of the United States Terrorist Screening Center.

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Military

U.S. GENERALS WORRY ABOUT RISING RUSSIAN AND CHINESE INFLUENCE IN AFRICA, DOCUMENTS SHOW

By Nick Turse

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION and the Pentagon have repeatedly warned that China and Russia are expanding their influence across Africa, where the two longtime American adversaries “interfere with U.S. military operations and pose a significant threat to U.S. national security interests,” national security adviser John Bolton said last December. Continue reading “U.S. GENERALS WORRY ABOUT RISING RUSSIAN AND CHINESE INFLUENCE IN AFRICA, DOCUMENTS SHOW”

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Military, News

Special Forces Sergeant, Killed in Niger Ambush, Is Awarded a Silver Star

By Thomas Gibbons-Neff

For nearly two years, a deadly ambush of American soldiers in Niger has spawned investigations, recriminations and reprimands. On Wednesday, it resulted in the awarding of one of the military’s highest honors for acts of valor.

As an Army captain read the award citation for Staff Sgt. Dustin M. Wright, the lights flickered and a summer storm rolled through this small southern Georgia town. A general spoke about the definition of a hero, and then Sergeant Wright’s father cleared his throat, gestured to the two photographs beside him and said, “This is my son.” Continue reading “Special Forces Sergeant, Killed in Niger Ambush, Is Awarded a Silver Star”

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Military

New head of AFRICOM visits Somalia as pressure on al-Shabab increases

By Stephen Losey

Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, the new commander of U.S. Africa Command, visited Somalia on Wednesday and pledged to continue pressuring violent extremists such as al-Shabab.

Townsend is now on his first trip to the African continent since he took charge of AFRICOM July 26. He met with Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre in the capital city of Mogadishu, as well as U.S. Ambassador Donald Yamamoto and senior Somali military leadership, AFRICOM said in a release. Continue reading “New head of AFRICOM visits Somalia as pressure on al-Shabab increases”

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Military, News

The Air Force’s New Base In Niger Is Getting A Major Addition Before It Even Opens

Satellite imagery shows the U.S. military is building a new approximately 20,800-square foot hangar along with its own 100,000-square foot apron and associated taxiway at its new air base outside of the city of Agadez in central Niger. The American facilities in Agadez, which will form an important regional hub for U.S. military operations in Northwest Africa, have been actively under construction since 2016. The new runway, while complete, isn’t slated to open for actual operations until some time this fall. Continue reading “The Air Force’s New Base In Niger Is Getting A Major Addition Before It Even Opens”

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