Abuja, Nigeria — The Nigerian military announced Monday that about 100 US soldiers as well as equipment have arrived in Nigeria to help train soldiers in the West African country as the government battles against Islamist militants and other armed groups.
The military said in a statement that the arrival came after a request by the Nigerian government to the US government for assistance with training, technical support and intelligence sharing.
This publication comes in the wake of the easing of tensions that erupted between the United States and Nigeria when US President Donald Trump said that the country He was not protecting Christians from alleged genocide. The Nigerian government has rejected the accusation, and analysts say it simplifies a very complex situation in which people are often targeted regardless of their beliefs.
Major General Samayala Uba, spokesman for the Nigerian Defense Headquarters, had previously said that US forces would not participate in the fighting or have a direct operational role, and that Nigerian forces would have full command authority.
In December, US forces Air strikes were launched On ISIS militants in northwest Nigeria. Last month, the head of the US Africa Command confirmed, following discussions with Nigerian authorities in Abuja A small team of US Army officers They were in Nigeria, and focused on intelligence support.
Nigeria faces a long-running battle with dozens of local armed groups increasingly fighting for influence, including Islamist sects such as the local Boko Haram group and its splinter faction, the Islamic State in West Africa. There is also the ISIS-linked Lakurawa group, as well as other “bandit” groups that specialize in kidnapping for ransom and illegal mining.
More recently, the crisis has escalated to include other militants from the neighboring Sahel region, including the group to support Islam and Muslims, which claimed responsibility for its first attack on Nigerian soil last year. Several thousand people were killed in Nigeria, according to United Nations data. Analysts say the government is not doing enough to protect its citizens.
While Christians have been among those targeted, analysts and residents say the majority of victims of armed groups are Muslims in Nigeria’s Muslim-dominated north, where most attacks occur.