The Associated Press has revealed the United States is helping fund a private company to train African Union soldiers for the fight against al-Qaeda-linked militants in the capital city of Mogadishu. Contractors with the Washington-based company, Bancroft Global Development, frequently accompany African troops as advisers in their efforts to combat the Islamist group al-Shabab. According to U.S. and U.N. officials, the Mogadishu team is made up of approximately 40 former South African, French and Scandinavian soldiers. The company also shares intelligence information with the FBI, including the DNA of suicide bombers. Bancroft is paid millions of dollars for its services by the governments of Uganda and Burundi, who are then reimbursed by the U.S. State Department.