Military Information Support Operations (MISO)

USAFRICOM, in coordination with national, international, and regional partners, conducts Military Information Support Operations (MISO) to support Department of Defense communication efforts specifically intended to improve regional stability and security cooperation and counter illicit activities within the USAFRICOM geographic area of responsibility.  Counter violent extremist organizations (C-VEO) MISO activities are conducted throughout the north, east, and Sahel regions of Africa and aim to decrease support for violent extremist groups and counter violent extremist propaganda.   Other MISO activities are conducted in the north, east, and west of Africa to disrupt malign state actor activities.

Through 2024, USAFRICOM and its subordinate commands will continue to conduct MISO activities to improve regional stability and security cooperation primarily through, but not limited to, current and emergent communication technologies such as print media, radio, text messages, face-to-face, television, social media, and websites to decrease recruitment and other support for violent extremist organizations; promote alternative narratives to violence, hatred, and extremism; counter adverse propaganda; facilitate disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programs; and reduce the flow of foreign fighters.  C-VEO MISO activities are primarily aimed at al-Qaida and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and their branches operating in Africa, as well as other U.S. designated foreign terrorist organizations including, but not limited to, Boko Haram, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin and their affiliates operating in Africa such as al Shabaab.  Although these activities may be conducted throughout the USAFRICOM area of responsibility, these efforts will be focused on audiences residing primarily in the Lake Chad Basin (Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Mali); Horn of Africa (Somalia and Kenya); in the Maghreb (Libya and Tunisia); and in/around the Gulf of Guinea countries (Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome, Gabon, and Congo).  All MISO activities will be tailored to counter threats operating in a given country or region.  These activities will be conducted in cooperation with partners as aggressions are observed.  As required, MISO efforts will also support activities such as reward and tip line operations, maritime operations, noncombatant evacuations, humanitarian assistance, and personnel recovery, aiding deployed forces operational efforts in response to instability.   Reward and tip line activities are a part of USAFRICOM’s DoD Rewards Program which support all US operations and allied partner forces participating in a combined operation with USAFRICOM with information or nonlethal assistance that is beneficial to combined operations against international terrorism or the force protection of the US personnel or of allied forces participating in a combined operation with USAFRICOM in Libya, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Kenya and Somalia.

Additionally, USAFRICOM MISO activities support joint training events with our partners throughout the region to more effectively address our shared security concerns and promote the positive impacts of adherence to the rule of law and military professionalism.    

USAFRICOM MISO activities are coordinated with U.S. government agencies and partner nations.