Africa has seen the most dramatic growth in the deployment of America’s elite troops of any region of the globe over the past decade, according to newly released numbers.
In 2006, just 1% of commandos sent overseas were deployed in the U.S. Africa Command area of operations. In 2016, 17.26% of all U.S. Special Operations forces — Navy SEALs and Green Berets among them — deployed abroad were sent to Africa, according to data supplied to The Intercept by U.S. Special Operations Command. That total ranks second only to the Greater Middle East where the U.S. is waging war against enemies in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.
“In Africa, we are not the kinetic solution,” Brigadier General Donald Bolduc, the chief of U.S. Special Operations Command Africa, told African Defense, a U.S. trade publication, early this fall. “We are not at war in Africa — but our African partners certainly are.”
That statement stands in stark contrast to this year’s missions in Somalia where, for example, U.S. Special Operations forces assisted local commandos in killing several members of the militant group, al-Shabab and Libya, where they supported local fighters battling members of the Islamic State. These missions also speak to the exponential growth of special operations on the continent.
As recently as 2014, there were reportedly only about 700 U.S. commandos deployed in Africa on any given day. Today, according to Bolduc, “there are approximately 1,700 [Special Operations forces] and enablers deployed… at any given time. This team is active in 20 nations in support of seven major named operations.”
Using data provided by Special Operations Command and open source information, The Intercept found that U.S. special operators were actually deployed in at least 33 African nations, more than 60% of the 54 countries on the continent, in 2016.
Special Operations Forces deployments in 33 African countries in 2016.
Map: The Intercept
The majority of African governments that hosted deployments of U.S. commandos in 2016 have seen their own security forces cited for human rights abuses by the U.S. State Department, including Algeria, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and Tanzania, among others.
According to data provided to The Intercept by Special Operations Command, elite U.S. troops are also deployed to Sudan, one of three nations, along with Iran and Syria, cited by the U.S. as “state sponsors of terrorism.”
“U.S. [Special Operations forces] have occasionally met with U.S. State Dept. and interagency partners in Sudan to discuss the overall security situation in the region,” Africa Command spokesperson Chuck Prichard wrote in an email.
Special Operations Command spokesman Ken McGraw added, “Their visit had nothing to do with Sudan’s government or military.”
This is an article concerning U.S. Special Operations Forces. Why is the photo of Forces Command Soldiers and not SOCOM? These guys are in 3rd Infantry Division with an Air Force Staff Sergeant attached.
@nickturse , you continue to grasp at straws for a coherent narrative about some secret war in Africa and you continue to come up with nothing. Here are some real facts you can use for your next article:
– US troops (including SOF) cannot operate in a foreign country outside a war zone without the Ambassador’s approval (which means there is also host nation approval)
– US troops (including SOF) train foreign forces at host nation invitation.
– US troops (including SOF) cannot work with any foreign force accused of human rights violations (read the Leahy Ammendment). Sure, a country may have bad forces, but the US does not work with them. The US has bad cops, but does that mean all police are bad?
– All training missions conducted by SOF are accounted for by Congress. The annual reports can be found in open source searches. Read them. Just because you don’t know where to look doesn’t mean it’s a “secret”.
By the way, nice picture of 3rd ID (a conventional Army unit) for an article about SOF.
Do your homework or move on.
Yes the Special Ops fellows may be trained killers and yet they are just there to help out like they have in Libya, Syria and Yemen. It so warms ones heart that the navy seals are just like boy scouts waiting to do good deeds with no ulterior motives. But it would be best if nobody mentions the oil or other precious resources.
Do you think you could link oil and precious resource protection to the US SOC involvement?
“….kinetic….”
Sounds so much better than murderous.
You could say murderous. If you’re one of the low-I.Q. wing nuts that views our military that way.
This is a very concise and interesting article @nickturse !
Though i am an avid reader of this paper, i can’t help but wanting to view the data provided by the U.S. Special Operations Command, in order to verify the content of this piece.
Has this article been shortened? I copied and pasted it (my own personal use) at home on another laptop and I could swear it’s much longer than this.
get the us out of there now!
Don’t you get it?? Think precious metals, NOT terrorism.
US military presence in Eritrea???????.. Either u r dreaming or u r deliberately trying to confuse people. #Eritrea is the only country in Africa along with Zimbabwe to refuse to host US command AFRICOM….#Eritrea is the only country which informed the CIA about the danger of Osama bin Laden when he was living in Sudan in 1994 , 7 years before September 11…when the US was sleeping with him on the same bed….#Eritrea let alone now standing strong as independent country,even when no one was on its side during the war of liberation was able to defeat US and Russia backed Black Africa’s strongest army of #Ethiopia…#Eritrea is the only country harrased for not being dependent on crippling foreign aid….moreover..#Eritrea has never in its history asked for military aid nor purchased arms from the US…..let alone US commandos there is not even a single US military personal of any type in #Eritrea….so if ur objective is to inform people then you r expected to correct this huge disinformation as soon as possible….
The US does not have “commandos.” This is bubble gum “journalism.”
It’s a generic term.
Clinging on to the corporate interests of certain political entities within friendly African regimes. Nice to know Americans are prepared to die so far from home for such noble causes. And if some Chinese business-friendly African soldier doesn’t shoot them, or malaria infest them, then maybe depression, domestic violence and suicide will take its toll once they are back home to spend that gloriously-earned salary on some tacky crap and some numbing toxins whilst they reflect on the beautiful world they have seen during a life well led.
God bless those veterans and their courageous deeds. Except God doesn’t exist and neither do American Heroes.
I can see and agree with some of where you are coming from.
But Africa is an ever changing and extremely needy continent that we need to help shepherd.
Please don’t make fun of malaria, death, depression or domestic violence. Or suicide. All of which God has some or no part in creating.
Heroes do exist. They sacrifice and do many jobs. They wear many caps and uniforms, not just service uniforms.
I do sympathize with the forces, experiences and people who have caused you such hatred and ignorance. But you should know that every human being on this earth faces hybrids of good and evil. And how they react and put themselves forward shows how good or evil they are.
Be more optimistic. Don’t condemn thousands of people and families you do not know.
In the past people have made offensive posts under absurd alias, then turned around and generally blamed commentator at TI of being anti-American. The keyboard propagandist posting as “Yankee Doodle Soldier Scumbags” seems to fit this bill.
Oh, there another tax payer talking down on soldiers, to a point that he/she wishes death upon them. Geez! The safe haven for tax payers, it is such grotesque. You are the real winner here tax payer.
I hope you don’t volunteer on the suicide hotline.
Spoken like a true mouth breather.
US forces in African countries including #Eritrea ? Wrong. There are no forces, Ambassador, in Eritrea. Nor does she get any form of aid from the US. The US sees Eritrea as a thorn on the side because she refuses to kneel down to US whims, orders and hegemony for which it uses other African countries to deliver its instructions. These other countries have no choice but comply at vilifying Eritrea in order to keep the various US aid packages flowing in. Learn and be better informed on the complex games, pressures, deals, propaganda, the US plays.
Um. I know the US likes to stick its nose into other countries’ business, but Eritrea is a *really* bad example of a sovereign nation that is politically vibrant except for our interference.
I mean, they don’t allow any opposing political parties, and the “president” has been in power for something like, what, 23 years now? Yeah, might as well call him Emperor or something at this point. That plus the massive human rights violations, lack of anything resembling a free press, and you’ve got yourself a nice little abusive dictatorship.
I mean, it’s no North Korea, but jeez. Still a pretty terrible example.
Call their political order as you wish, but there are no benefits of having a slave state.
Here’s an interesting article on China, the United States, and the U.S. military base in Africa, Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti on the east African coast:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/djibouti/11752759/China-deal-threatens-only-American-military-base-in-Africa.html
“We’re supporting African military professionalization and capability-building efforts,” said Bolduc.”
Just like we did in Iraq!
Perhaps the US government – sponsored terrorism will decrease under Trump. Can it get any worse?
America is involved in the internal affairs of every country.Countries have their own managers’ right to make decisions.Should respect these rights.Do not intervene whenever possible. To bring visible-purpose peace, but that’s not the point.
If a people have a justified cause to fight for, they don’t need so-called “elites” – they’ll have all the motivated soldiers they need. Governments need “elites” to fight dirty wars – wars which, if the majority of people were to learn the true nature of, would probably result in said government’s downfall. “Shadow wars” is an apt description.
Good point, “elite” is the first word of the phrase “elite mercenary killers” who you use to kill others. Euphemism made in dropping the last two words!
I think everyone can agree neither of you mental midgets have met a special operations soldier or sailor.
Well said!
Oh! Wait! Sell Billions and Billions and BILLIONS of dollars worth of military hardware and small arms to African Nations and Despots over thirty years, wait for the entire region to go straight to Hell and then send in a huge military presence for the NEXT thirty years and whine about being victims of “terrorism”. Oh, and don’t cut our budget or the “terrorists” win. They already have…look in the mirror.
Operations in 33 African countries, incl #Eritrea ? Never. Here’s your #FakeNews . The reason why this African country has been seen and treated as a thorn is because it refuses to kneel down to US hegemony (who use other African countries to act on behalf of the US in exchange for various aid packages). Be informed of the finer details in the ugly games.
Keep in my we have troops in Libya ONLY because HILLARY CLINTON, Secretary of State under OBAMA, MURDERED Qaddafi, OUR ALLY.
Cackle!
Yes, it will not fare well for them!
Having failed to advance US interest by our many past adventures in other countries, the Washington establishment is now sending soldiers to Africa. Any bets there are billions of dollars going into elitist pockets, and still more billions simply disappearing?
No way in hell would I ever take that bet!
The USA has ZERO national interests in Africa or the ME.
Why do we waste blood and treasure???
We have 0 interest or real care in them, but we do need there land as astopover for the global control we strive for. There are many business interests reliant on that. They may be a little hidden, but you will find them.
Now when we train people on our weapons and systems, to be familiar, to use– who supplies what they reach for?
Could we just stop referring to our official death squads as “elite,” please?
That adjective is used by the warmongers to make highly-trained killers seem very special and very important — to themselves and to the awed masses. It’s a tool to attract volunteers for high-value cannon fodder work.
When journalists use it automatically and unquestioningly, they, even if unintentionally, help promote the warmongers’ narrative.
Yes, Doug great observation. Remember this:
Language: A Key Mechanism of Control
Newt Gingrich’s 1996 GOPAC memo
As you know, one of the key points in the GOPAC tapes is that “language matters.” In the video “We are a Majority,” Language is listed as a key mechanism of control used by a majority party, along with Agenda, Rules, Attitude and Learning. As the tapes have been used in training sessions across the country and mailed to candidates we have heard a plaintive plea: “I wish I could speak like Newt.”
See: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article4443.htm
Doug illustrates the harm that comes from swallowing everything his handlers feed him. “Official death squads”–I had to laugh at that one.
In a way, I bet you find it rather freeing to be so woefully ignorant, don’t you?
Good work, I hope Trump sticks with it. Make Africa great again.
Some people have suggested a secret global strategy here — opposing Chinese interests. That would be bad because it is imperialist, but what seems even worse is the distinct possibility that it is not even strategic: it’s just the outcome of the U.S. military being turned into a mercenary army for short-term corporate interests. Almost every part of the U.S. state seems to have fallen or to be falling into private hands — education, prisons, the FDA, the EPA, Special Forces, you name it.
Kathleen excellent observation.
Quote from Madison: “The means of defense against foreign danger, have been always the instruments of tyranny at home. Among the Romans it was a standing maxim to excite a war, whenever a revolt was apprehended. Throughout all Europe, the armies kept up under the pretext of defending, have enslaved the people.”
If standing armies were seen as such a threat to the Founding Fathers they must be turning over in their graves regarding allowing the establishment more nefarious and sinister privatized militias.
The Chinese have real influence in East Africa, and the minerals of war zones like South Sudan do go to China. We should not imagine they are saints and we alone are sinners. Still, China has done its best superpower work with things like fighting malaria, and the same is true of the U.S. All of their most effective tactics are forms of applied Daoism – they win their rule by being effective servants.
How insightful… The sociopathic, self-proclaimed “pragmatists” cooking up foreign policy schemes would do well to learn the lesson – perhaps also at home.
Well stated, we can add science research and patents to you name it. Take America back from corporate corruption. The three legged stool of governance, business and we the people is unbalanced. We are at our best when all concerns are considered and none are so dominate as corporate influence is currently.
Yes, there is a global strategy and overlooked the fact that the saudi bombing of Yemen is blessed by the us. Severe damage done will demand some humanitarian structure be designed and built, they come in and the us troops will be there to protect all this.
Maybe not us but some country favorable.
Then the us controls all of the southern hemisphere: flight from east coast to central africa, then to Yemen, the over the Indai Ocean to friendly Australia, hop to Hawaii and the west coast!
So yea!!
Maybe someone should start a website, JSOC Watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WhkCOpYans
The reason is simple. The Chinese have invested in a lot of effort and funds to capture the hearts, minds and souls of the African people. Unless we put in an equal amount of resources it won’t be long before we stop wielding any authority outside our walled borders.
wtf do we need ‘authority’ there for? tell me how joe blow american benefits in ANY way. Sick of us putting people at risk for ‘influence’. Which is why many are throwing a hissy fit about Syria right now- it isn’t about truth, freedom, or the American way, it is about BS Realpolitik. They would turn Syria into the ninth circle of hell (for instance, what do you think would happen if ISIS takes over Damascus? oh, they are all evil Assad backers, so mass murder would be OK?) just to prevent Russian ‘influence’ via a brokered peace. Guess what, Russia is right next door, we are thousands of miles away with no real connection other than wanting to be the great imperial power striding the world. Very few Americans like this crap, but we get it forced down our throat because of ‘ooh, the red menace!’. WAR IS HELL, how many foreign adventure disasters do we have to endure before we get that point?
You are absolutely on it. The american does not care and really should not care. This is a drain on ourselves and our country. It is instituted by infantile men who have not matured, game and listen to themselves talk and are obsessed with more. It is ok for others to have some.
Yes Russia is next door and yhe us is not. We are trying to pretend that Presence is, but it is not. This is not the world of ww1&2.
You are right on abou.t your other comments.
Excellent article. This is one of the many under-reported stories of Obama’s rampant imperialism. He has skillfully armed and supported dictators across the continent through AFRICOM. This is actually part of his Asia pivot, designed to block China from the rare-earth metals it needs for high-tech manufacturing. Obama’s moves in Africa are also designed to keep China and BRICS from offering more favorable investment terms to Africa than the IMF or World Bank scams.
it’s perfect – O has Shaka Zulu type aspirations, maybe with a touch of the Red Queen.
Just a friendly FYI: rare-earth metals are not really rare. They are actually quite abundant, yet difficult to refine. That said, in general you’re correct, Africa esp. the Democratic Republic of Congo, is extremely resource rich.
The map of Africa in Nick Turse’s article “U.S. Special Operations Numbers Surge in Africa’s Shadow Wars” is attributed to the Intercept and contains an egregious geographical error in its inclusion of the illegally-occupied Western Sahara within the borders of Morocco. The UN for some 50 years has categorized Western Sahara as a non-self-governing territory with the right to self-determination and does not recognize Moroccan sovereignty over the territory. Furthermore, no country recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over the territory and in 1975 an International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion rejected Morocco’s claim to sovereignty over Western Sahara. Just as no map should include the illegally-occupied Palestinian territories within the borders of Israel, no map should include Western Sahara within Morocco.
What “illegally-occupied Palestinian territories’?
You are right about the map, Morrocco is a small country that has no right to the Westwrn Sahara lands, but this is a goal map– if Morocco complies w/us, it will thusly be rewarded.
Returning to the map, bc iit shows what CrookdClintOs are doing– this is an official map– therefor approved by the US. When SoSCrookedFoundation accepted $12,000,000.00 donation from the Kingof Morocco– a country so poor its young men self-immolate in despair– is how it works: the Us redraws the map and who is going to say other??
Clintonemail.com to talk to criminals.
You mean Tunisia. That’s the place the self immolation occurred.
Enough with the (not so) covert anti-Semitism. A territory cannot be “illegally-occupied” if the Palestinian squatters have no right to claim it.
War is business. And business is good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yLr8nAZD5A
Thank you Silver1ock viewing this gave me a great end to 2016.
I have one for you – John Kerry: “Problem Is Young People Don’t Want To Die
Anymore” See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG76dPe4hRU
Happy New Year
With that many spread out that widely, you can’t tell me that many aren’t quite vulnerable. There seems to be a belief that special forces are somehow magic men that can beat anyone anywhere- the reality is that in a fight between 50 barely trained guys with AK’s and a dozen special forces, the 50 will win every time if either given the element of surprise or just being well motivated and led. We must be hanging many of them out on a string and hoping no one notices the string…
“You know about the burning oil when you signed up.” If you walk into a “close ambush” you are not likely to see home again. However, with good air and artillery support, 50 guys with AK’s trained or not can be toast in short order. Backup is a primary concern that should be part of mission, congressional, free press and especially on the ground SF operators concern.
seriously doubt air or artillery would be available with all these locations, or if it could be brought in quickly enough. if they are close enough to be using AK’s on you (not that hard, all it takes is using cover correctly), good luck only hitting the opponent. and I doubt there is ANY oversight on these actions by the parties mentioned, or they would have a clue to ask the right questions or the balls to ask them. hope they are exceedingly competent, and not being asked to go out on very thin limbs because someone thinks they are supermen. a grenade in a room or a well placed booby trap kills regardless of how well trained you are- we are all bags of blood and meat in the end.
No one is bullet proof but risk reduction begins with good situational awareness before boots hit the ground. SF is very competent and careful. You would know you situation and exact measure and amount of backup and if it “looked” all wrong and for no good reason, you would speak up. You are the one betting your ass and have some say and generally some sway if your point is valid.
U.S. Special Operations missions to foreign countries where we’re not at war, and specifically not connected to a country’s government or military, are something the command calls “visits?” Understanding their visits anywhere might involve someone dying makes that sound truly creepy – in the serial killer way.
How is it the U.S. empire can stir up stuff in 20 new countries there and ignore an impending genocide in one it repeatedly brags about having “midwifed,” South Sudan?
An empire of greed affords no shame.
Thank you, Mr. Nick, as always.
Special operations are now general operation, but still “dark” operations. When our military engages in combat “training” operations, we as citizens should be informed of scope but not classified operational details and congress, our elected representatives should be fully briefed and VOTE up or down on all proxy wars. Our “free press” MSM should inform us on who is making money on said wars to include corporations. persons and governments using war as a gray train. Some of this is necessary much of it is unexplainable or corrupt.