Behind the Story: U.S. Special Forces in Africa

United States Special Operations forces are the U.S. military’s most highly trained soldiers, specializing in counterterrorism, counter-insurgency, and “direct action” combat raids, among other missions. Their operations are shrouded in secrecy. Although U.S. commandos operate on the African continent with the agreement of host governments, African residents are rarely told about the full extent of U.S. activities—nor offered a say in how and why Americans operate in their countries. This investigation changed that, uncovering for the first time the vast African footprint of America’s most elite and secretive combat troops.