Trend Lines: Politics Dictates Use of U.S. Contractors to Train African Forces

Trend Lines: Politics Dictates Use of U.S. Contractors to Train African Forces

The United States is training a growing force of African troops as part of a wider strategy to fight al-Qaida-affiliated militants in Somalia.

Boot camps where contractors hired by the U.S. State Department provide training to Ugandan soldiers made headlines earlier this week.

According to recent reports, U.S. contractors will train three quarters of the 18,000 African Union troops deployed to Somalia, and the U.S. government has spent $550 million over the past several years on training and equipment.

Keep reading for free

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

Get instant access to the rest of this article by creating a free account below. You'll also get access to three articles of your choice each month and our free newsletter:
Subscribe for an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review
  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of tens of thousands of articles.
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday.
  • The Daily Review email, with our take on the day’s most important news, the latest WPR analysis, what’s on our radar, and more.