Meanwhile, French soldiers continued to die in combat, even as 3,000 soldiers from 10 European countries partake in Takuba Task Force and fight side-by-side with African G5 soldiers. “We see terrorism globally distributed,” AFRICOM Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Kirk W. Smith told Air Force Magazine in a recent media roundtable. “We’ll also spend some time today discussing our cooperation in the Sahel,” Austin previewed in public comments prior to meeting with Parly. “The United States is proud to support our French and African partners.”Parly, for her part after the meeting, indicated Austin’s commitment to Africa was intact. “I am delighted to announce this morning Secretary Austin and I signed a roadmap to strengthen even more the relationship between our two special forces,” Parly said.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 09, 2021 21:56 UTC