A French Navy Camcopter S-100 patrols over the site of a near-record-breaking seizure of cocaine in the Gulf of Guinea by the French Navy, September 22, 2025. U.S. Africa Command’s support to the French Navy lead to the drug bust. (Courtesy Photo by the French Navy)
U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley, Commander of U.S. Africa Command, observes a joint special operations demonstration during the opening ceremony of Flintlock 25, April 24, 2025. During Flintlock 25's opening ceremony, Ivorian and UK Special Forces showcased the lethality and readiness essential for combatting shared threats with a joint raid demonstration, underscoring the exercise's commitment to achieving peace through strength. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Zachary Wright)
Army lawyers provide training on rules for armed conflict at exercise Justified Accord
10:05 AM3/26/2025
NAIROBI, Kenya – Among the flurry of tactical live fires and squad movement drills, air ground integration and even the humanitarian initiatives at exercise Justified Accord 2025 (JA25), lies the one thing those who serve in any armed force must follow: The Law.
The Law of Armed Conflict, or LOAC, is a key aspect of training for any military. JA25’s academics course aimed at learning from the international legal lessons of previous wars in an effort to reduce the amount of human suffering in future conflicts.
“The soldier’s rules are a broad set of rules that we have pulled from the large breadth of international law,” said U.S. Army Maj. Tim Olliges, an operational law attorney assigned to U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), the lead U.S. Army command and planner of JA25. “The LOAC is extensive and can be complex, so we pull out the ten most critical concepts that every soldier, right down to the private, should know before they go into combat.”
Deputy Commander Strengthens Partnerships in Tanzania
12:36 PM2/26/2025
Lt. Gen. John Brennan, U S. Africa Command Deputy Commander, traveled to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Feb. 20-21 to meet with the Chief of Tanzanian People 's Defence Forces Gen. Jacob John Mkunda, and to be the keynote speaker at the closing ceremony for Exercise Cutlass Express.
Thirteen nations participate in Obangame Express 2024 maritime interdiction training in Ghana
11:02 AM5/13/2024
Over five days, 13 nations from across West Africa, Europe, and North America sent military delegations to collaborate, learn, and train together as part of the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF)’s Obangame Express 2024 military interdiction training events at the Ghana Western Naval Headquarters in Sekondi.
SETAF-AF and North Dakota NG highlight National Guard SPPs in Africa
12:00 AM10/5/2023
Gen. Daniel Hokanson, Chief of the National Guard, will introduce the National Guard’s State Partnership Program. Maj. Gen. Todd Wasmund, SETAF-AF Commanding General, will discuss the Army’s support U. S. Africa Command's campaign in Africa and where it interfaces with SPPs in Africa, before turning over to Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, The Adjutant General for the North Dakota National Guard, state partner to Ghana, Benin and Togo to discuss his state’s individual partnership.
U.S. Air Force Col. Kevin Lee, 409th Air Expeditionary Group commander, greets U.S. Air Force Gen. James Hecker, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, commander, prior to Air Base 201’s base visit in Niger, Oct. 29, 2022. Prior to his visit with both installations, Hecker attended the Senegalese Air Force-hosted Africa Air Force Forum, which brought over 40 Africa nations and international partner defense delegations to Dakar, Senegal.
AFRICOM delegation visits Namibia to develop security cooperation, partnership efforts
2:21 PM9/7/2022
Ms. Barbara Hughes, USAID senior development advisor to U.S. Africa Command, admires a young student’s seamstress design at the DREAMS Initiative during a U. S. Africa Command delegation visit to Windhoek, Namibia, on Aug. 30, 2022. The DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe) Initiative seeks to reduce HIV infection among adolescence girls and young women, funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief program.
AFRICOM delegation visits Namibia to develop security cooperation, partnership efforts
2:21 PM9/7/2022
Members of a U. S. Africa Command delegation meet with members of the DREAMS Initiative, The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief program, during a visit to Windhoek, Namibia, on Aug. 30, 2022. The delegation included Amb. Andrew Young, U.S. Africa Command deputy to the commander for civil-military engagement, and Ms. Barbara Hughes, USAID senior development advisor to U.S. Africa Command. Through PEPFAR the U.S. helps with HIV testing and referral for treatment, development efforts that support defense to limit the HIV/AIDS impact on African militaries.
U.S. Africa Command Commander concludes visit to Angola
4:32 PM5/26/2022
U. S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U. S. Africa Command, concluded a two-day visit to Angola to meet with Angolan President João Lourenço and other senior government officials May 18.
Department of State and Defense officials meet for 2022 East African Security Forum
1:54 PM5/16/2022
Maj. Gen. William Zana, commander, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa, hosted the forum, which provided a face-to-face platform for representatives with the U.S. Departments of State and Defense, U,S. Agency for International Development, and National Security Council. The discussions ranged from overarching long-term strategy to specific security threats in the region.
Gen. Townsend visits Mozambique to advance mutual security interests
9:07 AM12/15/2021
U. S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U. S. Africa Command, wrapped up a multi-country trip to the Southern Africa region, Nov. 17-23. During his travels, he visited civilian and military leaders in Mozambique, South Africa and Botswana. (courtesy video by: U.S. Embassy in Mozambique)
Gen. Townsend visits Botswana to advance mutual security interests
12:00 AM11/29/2021
U. S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U. S. Africa Command, wrapped up a multi-country trip to the Southern Africa region, Nov. 17-23. During his travels, he visited civilian and military leaders in Mozambique, South Africa and Botswana. Townsend’s final stop on the trip was to Botswana where he met with several high-level members of the government and senior military members to advance the partnership between Botswana and the U.S. and discuss opportunities to increase multilateral training and military-to-military engagements.
U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa (NAVAF) Director of maritime partnership program, Rear Adm. Jeffrey S. Spivey joined Tunisian Minister of Defense Brahim Bertegi, Read Adm. Kevin Jones from U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), and U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia, Donald Blome in marking the successful completion of the 16th iteration of the multinational maritime exercise Phoenix Express 2021 (PE21) in Tunis, Tunisia on May 28, 2021.
USS Winston S. Churchill conducts port visit to Sudan
3:53 PM3/1/2021
Sailors man the rails as the guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) arrived in Port Sudan, Sudan for a scheduled port visit, March 1. Winston S. Churchill is deployed to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of regional allies and partners and U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa
Counterparts from U.S. African Command, the Michigan National Guard, and the Armed Forces of Liberia participate in a remote meeting January 20, 2021, as a part of an initiative of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM)’s Office of Legal Counsel known as Command Advice, Investigations, and Coordination (CAIC, pronounced “cake”). This new program deepens military adherence to the rule of law and facilitates military support to the prosecution of terrorists. It is implemented through a series of multilateral and bilateral engagements, with National Guard units taking the lead on bilateral engagements where partnerships already exist. Michigan and Liberia have had an established relationship under the U.S. National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program (SPP) since 2010 (Courtesy Photo).
U.S., Ghana partner to build disaster management capabilities across the region
9:09 AM11/17/2020
On November 9, U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Stephanie S. Sullivan officially presented a skills-based Disaster Management Curriculum to Major General Francis Ofori, Commandant of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center (KAIPTC). The curriculum was produced by United States Africa Command in partnership with KAIPTC.
U.S., Senegalese naval leaders plan new Naval Infantry Symposium
1:47 PM10/8/2020
Maj. Gen. Stephen Neary, commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa, visited with Senegalese Naval Chief of Staff Rear Adm. Oumar Wade and U.S. Ambassador to Senegal Tulinabo Mushingi, in Dakar, Senegal, Oct. 5-7, 2020.
Marines, Royal Moroccan Armed Forces conduct quick response force training
10:21 AM6/2/2020
U.S. Marines with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Africa 20.1, Marine Forces Europe and Africa, secure a hostile simulated building alongside members of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces at Inezgane, Morocco, Feb. 26, 2020. SPMAGTF-CR-AF is deployed to conduct crisis-response and theater-security operations in Africa and promote regional stability by conducting military-to-military training exercises throughout Europe and Africa. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Kenny Gomez)