The New Isolationism: Why Ignoring Al Shabaab Invites the ‘Enemy from Within’
The new isolationism dismissing U.S. forward engagement in East Africa – misunderstands the nature of the Al Shabaab threat to the homeland.
Africa
Major Offensive Launched in Mali
JNIM and Tuareg rebels have launched a major offensive across Mali attacking government troops and Russia’s Africa Corps in key cities to include the capital. A major city in the north may have fallen.
Silent Warrior 2025 – SOF Symposium in Africa
Story by Staff Sgt. Trenton Jancze, SOCAFRICA. Silent Warrior 2025 officially commenced today, bringing together senior special operations forces (SOF) leaders from over 40 nations to address the complex and evolving security landscape across the African continent. Cohosted by Kenyan […]
Mali – Facing the JNIM Threat
Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has been a growing threat in the west African country of Mali for more than a decade – primarily in north and central Mali. JNIM is an al-Qaeda affiliate group that formed up in March […]
The White Army of South Sudan
By Joseph Falzetta. This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian on September 9, 2025. To many in South Sudan’s government, they are rebels bent on overthrowing the state. In most media accounts, they appear as a brutal, faceless […]
3rd SFG(A) Trains with Tanzanian SOF
Story by Staff Sgt. Amber Litteral, SOCAFRICA. Green Berets from U.S. Army 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) and members of the Tanzanian 93rd Special Forces Battalion recently completed a Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) in Tanzania, sharpening operational skills while […]
New Cdr SOCAFRICA – Maj Gen Tudor
U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Claude Tudor has taken command of U.S. Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAFRICA) as of June 3, 2025. Tudor is a former Director of Operations for U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM). As the commander of SOCAFRICA, he […]
SOCAFRICA’s Silent Warrior 23
Courtesy story by SOCAFRICA. Military and government leaders from the across the globe came together for Silent Warrior 23, Dec. 4 – 7, 2023 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. The multi-day conference, hosted by Special Operations Command Africa, aimed to facilitate forums […]
Reflections from a Complex Intervention – 30 Years Since the 3 Oct 1993 Battle of Mogadishu
By Michael A. Marra and Brett D. Weigle. October 3, 2023, marked the somber 30th anniversary of the Battle of Mogadishu, Somalia – another tragic event in another “small war” waged far away from United States soil in a nation […]
Personnel Recovery in Horn of Africa
Story by Dhruv Gopinath. Wherever U.S. service members may find themselves, Air Force rescue squadrons stand ready to rapidly mobilize, deploy and employ to provide combat and peacetime search and rescue in support of U.S. national security interests. In the […]
Niger – Coup a Significant Loss to Security in Sahel
On July 26, 2023, military officers of Niger’s armed forces seized power after detaining the elected president, Mohamed Bazoum. This action has reversed many years of U.S. efforts to assist that country’s transition to a democratic nation. It is also […]
AMCITs Stranded in Sudan: State ‘Helping From Afar’
Conflict has enveloped the country of Sudan and U.S. citizens are at risk; many of them seeking to escape the chaos and return to the United States. It is estimated that there are over 16,000 American citizens in Sudan. Some […]
U.S. Embassy Staff Evacuated from Khartoum
On April 22, 2023, Saturday evening (EST), U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) evacuated just under 100 American embassy staff from the Khartoum, Sudan embassy. The evacuation took place at approximately 8:00 pm Saturday evening (Washington, D.C. time), about 3:00 am […]
Crisis in Sudan
Over the last several days the security situation in Sudan has become worse. There is fighting in the capital city of Khartoum, the airport is closed, hundreds of lives have been lost, and thousands injured. Most of the essentials of […]
Coup in Burkina Faso – September 2022
A military coup took place in in Burkina Faso in September 2022 and Captain Ibrahim Traore seems to be in charge on the country at this time. The coup displaced Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba who came to power in […]