Nearly two dozen Senegalese soldiers are lined up to board a U.S. Special operations aircraft of the Air Force.
Boarding the MC-130, commandos and paratroopers are making final preparations with their equipment, supplies, and willpower. The Senegalese air force’s Focker 27 had been used by the airborne troops to jump out, but cooperation with the U.S. Air Force denotes that the military will fly an American aircraft rather than the Dutch-built Focker. The outcome of military and diplomatic efforts to deepen a bond deemed essential to regional and global security. Senegal, a relatively secular country known for its religious tolerance, the country has long been involved in international peacekeeping. The mission is a component of the lesser-known and very distinct Trans-Sahara counterterrorism initiative, which is a part of the military’s war on terrorism.
