About JSOU
Popular Resources
Upcoming Courses
*Continuous Learning (CL) courses are not shownJoint Fundamentals Course
Enterprise Management Course
USSOCOM Staff Education Program Foundations
Recent Publications
Cognitive Warfare to Dominate and Redefine Adversary Realities: Implications for U.S. Special Operations Forces
Advancing the SOF Warrior Mind: Essays from the Academic Year 2025 JSOU Call for Special Operations Papers
Leveraging Contingent Capital as a Non-Traditional Discipline of Economic Warfare
Featured Publications
Quick Links
About JSOU
Popular Resources
Upcoming Courses
*Continuous Learning (CL) courses are not shownJoint Fundamentals Course
Enterprise Management Course
USSOCOM Staff Education Program Foundations
Recent Publications
Cognitive Warfare to Dominate and Redefine Adversary Realities: Implications for U.S. Special Operations Forces
Advancing the SOF Warrior Mind: Essays from the Academic Year 2025 JSOU Call for Special Operations Papers
Leveraging Contingent Capital as a Non-Traditional Discipline of Economic Warfare
Featured Publications
Quick Links
About this event
JSOU Snapshot is a series of short learning videos made just for you, busy special operations professionals, to educate and inform on topics of interest, confusion, controversy, and question. The objective of these short videos is to teach or clarify concepts that are important for you to know, in 5 minutes or less. In this video, we ask "What's really driving Russia and China's growing presence in West Africa?" What hidden agendas lurk behind their advances?" As Great Power Competition intensifies globally, so does the contest over West Africa’s natural resources and strategic trade routes, which are re-shaping global power dynamics. China and Russia each pursue different strategies toward Africa, but they share the goals of subverting U.S. and European influence, while seeking economic gains. Let’s explore each country’s interests and strategies in West Africa and consider their implications. Keep an eye out for more JSOU Snapshots in the near future!