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Further Reading

Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAFRICA)

Special Operations Command, Africa (SOCAFRICA) is US Africa Command’s (AFRICOM) Theater Special Operations Command, a functional, sub-unified special operations command for Africa. SOCAFRICA contributes to AFRICOM’s mission through the application of the full spectrum of Special Operations Forces capabilities including civil affairs, information operations, theater security cooperation, crisis response, and campaign planning. SOCAFRICA exercises operational control of Special Operations Forces within the command's area of responsibility in Africa, which included 53 countries and more than 13 million square miles as of 2010.

The Command has operational control for Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force special operations forces, which deploy for the execution of training and operational missions. The primary focus of the command is on special operations forces missions that develop African Partner capacity, provide assistance and support theater security cooperation objectives.

In August 2007, a a transitional special operations headquarters was formed as part of the development of a unified US regional command for Africa. On 1 October 2008, with the transformation of US Africa Command (AFRICOM) to a unified regional command, this headquarters was formally actived as Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAFRICA).

On 11 May 2010, Malian and Senegalese soldiers worked on small unit tactics, movements, and convoy vehicle recover drills with special operations forces personnel from Special Operations Task Force 103 in Bamako, Mali. The classes were part of Flintlock 10, an exercise focused on military interoperability and capacity-building, which was part of an AFRICOM-sponsored annual exercise program with partner nations in northern and western Africa. Flintlock 10, which includes participation of key European nations, was conducted by SOCAFRICA and was designed to build relationships and develop capacity among security forces throughout the Trans-Saharan region of Africa.

On 12 October 2011, President Barack Obama announced that he had authorized the deployment of combat-equipped US forces, said to be primarily US special operations forces personnel, to central Africa. There they would help regional forces fight the notorious Lord's Resistance Army and its leader, Joseph Kony. A total of 100 service members and civilians were to deploy to the region during the month, including a second combat-equipped team and headquarters, communications and logistics personnel. The US forces were not engage LRA forces unless necessary for self-defense, and were primarily to be involved in training local military forces in Uganda, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan. Foreign internal defense is a traditional mission of US Army Special Forces personnel. The personnel deployed would be sent to regional capitals and other areas to work with governments, their militaries, and the peacekeeping missions in order for these forces to counter the LRA threat and protect civilians. The State Department would oversee the 3 other parts of the plan: to protect civilians, disarm and dismantle the LRA, and provide humanitarian relief to areas affected by the guerrilla militia.