Operation Enduring Freedom – Trans Sahara

Part of the War on Terrorism (Insurgency in the Maghreb)

A United States special forces NCO watches weapons marksmanship training for a member of a Malian counter-terrorism unit in December 2010

Date	6 February 2007 – ongoing (10 years and 2 months)
Location	Sahara Desert
Result	ongoing

Belligerents

Algeria

Morocco

Mauritania

Tunisia

Burkina Faso

Chad

Mali

Niger

Nigeria

Senegal
Supported & Trained By:

United States

Canada

France

Germany

Netherlands

Spain

United Kingdom

al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (2007–17)

Ansar Dine (2012–17)
Supported By:

Boko Haram (2009–present)

MOJWA (2011–13)

Commanders and leaders

Donald Trump (2017-Present)

Barack Obama (2009–2017)

George W. Bush (2007-2009)

David M. Rodriguez (2007-2016)

Idriss Deby (2007-present)

Abdelaziz Bouteflika (2007-present)

Ahmed Ouyahia (2007-2014)

Abdelmalek Sellal (2014-present)

Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (2009-present)

Abdelmalek Droukdel

Mokhtar Belmokhtar †

Tiyib Ould Sidi Ali †

Athmane Touati

Winan Bin Yousef (POW)

Strength

1,325+ American advisors & trainers;
900 Moroccans;
400 Malians;
250 Algerians;
200 Chadians;
<1,000 Mauritanians;
25 Senegalese medical doctors

AQIM: 400-4,000
Tuaregs: ~1,000
Boko Haram: 300–2,000+

Causes: September 11 attacks and 2003 Casablanca bombings

Operation Enduring Freedom – Trans Sahara (OEF-TS) is the name of the military operation conducted by the United States and partner nations in the Sahara/Sahel region of Africa, consisting of counterterrorism efforts and policing of arms and drug trafficking across central Africa. It is part of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). The other OEF mission in Africa is Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA).

The Congress approved $500 million for the Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Initiative (TSCTI) over six years to support countries involved in counterterrorism against alleged threats of al-Qaeda operating in African countries, primarily Algeria, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Nigeria, and Morocco. This program builds upon the former Pan Sahel Initiative (PSI), which concluded in December 2004 and focused on weapon and drug trafficking, as well as counterterrorism. TSCTI has both military and non-military components to it. OEF-TS is the military component of the program. Civil affairs elements include USAID educational efforts, airport security, Department of the Treasury, and State Department efforts.

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Wikipedia