“On Feb. 16, the United States Africa Command began its annual Exercise Flintlock in West Africa. The three-week military drill features more than 1,200 soldiers from 28 African and Western countries, including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Mauritania and Senegal. The exercise coincides with the African Union–backed campaign against the Nigerian armed group Boko Haram. But all eyes are on the host country, Chad, which has taken a strong leadership role in the U.S.-funded Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Partnership, which aims to enhance the capacity of governments in the Sahel to confront the threat of terrorism. Chad appears eager to assert itself as a regional power broker. But the United States must be cautious before lending undue support to the Chadian military.”
Source: US Support for Chad May Destabilize the Sahel | Al Jazeera America