Past PKO training has helped equip the Ugandans and Burundians who were part of the AMISOM effort in Somalia. Other training (and funding) appears to have gone to Mali and Niger to deal with the AQIM crisis as well as Nigeria’s neighbors — Chad, Cameroon, and Niger — in their efforts to defeat Nigeria’s Boko Haram insurgency.
But another State Department IDIQ, as yet unnamed and unfunded, appeared in a presolicitation notice in February on the USG’s contracting website, FedBizOps.gov. The notice calls for interest in “Africa Advisory and Reporting Services.” It is a set-aside for Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned Small Businesses and offers at least a one-year effort with the possibility of four more years. The presolicitation says that multiple firms will likely be selected.
The winning companies will carry out the work in Sub-Saharan Africa and report directly to the Africa Bureau at the State Department. The contractors will work closely with U.S. missions as well as host governments and militaries.
I have so far found out little about this mystery program, but I would imagine that the formal solicitation will be coming out shortly. I’ll keep you in the loop when I find out more information.