“OEF-TS is primarily a training mission, with US forces assisting ten nations to combat insurgents in the region.”
The deaths of four US soldiers in Niger on October 4th is raising questions about US military operations in Africa. The Special Forces team was in the area operating with and assisting Nigerian forces during a meet and greet, known in the US military as a key leader engagement (KLE), with local tribal elders when they were ambushed.
There has been some discussion about a possible kill or capture mission against a high-value-target believed to be in the area, but this has not been confirmed. The team was ambushed at the Niger-Mali border, an area where several Islamic extremist groups, including the Islamic State and Boko Haram, have been known to operate. It is still unknown what group carried out the attack.
The US troops did request close air support after the fight was well underway and several French aircraft came to the aid of the team on the ground but were unable to engage. French helicopters were involved in the evacuation of the team and have targeted fighters in the weeks after the attack.
The unfortunate reality is that there are hostile forces in the area and direct combat can sometimes result.
US military operations in Niger and other areas of Africa that are not “areas of hostility” have been ongoing for decades and consist of advising and assisting local security forces, collecting intelligence, and in the case of Niger, conducting drone operations from an airbase in the capital city of Niamey.
Operation Enduring Freedom – Trans Sahara (OEF-TS) has been an ongoing military operation conducted by US and coalition forces in central Africa as part of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) that began in September 2001. OEF-TS is primarily a training mission, with US forces assisting ten nations to combat insurgents in the region. The number of US forces in Niger rose steadily during the Obama administration, going from 100 troops to approximately 500 in 2013. There are believed to be closer to 900 US troops in the country, although the Pentagon will not provide an exact number.
The results in Africa have also been promising, as local security forces have improved their capabilities thanks to the training provided by US special operations forces.
A rise in the number of forces on the ground in a country is not necessarily a sign of mission creep. The US mission in Africa has been well-known in both Washington and among the military. The mission’s legal basis is strong as the authorization for counterterrorism purposes allows US forces to operate at the request of the host nation.
That authorization comes from a 2001 Congressional military use of force bill that gives the President the authority to carry out operations against al-Qaeda and any group associated with it, including the Islamic State. The results in Africa have also been promising, as local security forces have improved their capabilities thanks to the training provided by US special operations forces.
The intention of US military forces during these types of operations is not to engage the enemy. Conducting village assessments, meeting with local leaders, training and mentoring local security forces, and collecting intelligence are support missions that US forces have conducted in African countries for decades. The unfortunate reality is that there are hostile forces in the area and direct combat can sometimes result. It is not, however, an indication of any mission creep in Niger or the rest of Africa.
