Sample Page Title

The US troopers is not going to have a fight position and are to function underneath the total command authority of Nigeria’s navy.

The US has despatched 100 navy personnel to northern Nigeria to coach and advise native forces, as lethal threats rise from armed teams akin to Boko Haram and ISIL (ISIS)-linked factions.

Samaila Uba, Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters spokesman, confirmed the US troops’ arrival within the northeastern space of Bauchi on Monday.

He mentioned they are going to present “technical help” and “intelligence sharing” to assist goal and defeat “terrorist organisations”. The US additionally despatched “related gear” to help the mission.

Uba confused that the US troopers is not going to play a direct fight position, however will share technical experience underneath the total command authority of Nigerian forces.

“The armed forces of Nigeria stay totally dedicated to degrading and defeating terrorist organisations that threaten the nation’s sovereignty, nationwide safety, and the protection of its residents,” mentioned the navy spokesman in feedback carried by Nigeria’s Premium Instances newspaper.

Final weekend, gunmen on bikes rampaged by way of three villages in northern Nigeria, killing no less than 46 individuals and abducting many others. The bloodiest assault occurred within the village of Konkoso, in Niger State, the place no less than 38 individuals have been shot useless or had their throats slit.

Protracted struggle

The US deployment follows an easing of tensions that flared between Washington and Nigeria late final yr, when US President Donald Trump accused the nation of failing to cease killings towards Christians and threatened to intervene militarily.

The Nigerian authorities has rejected Trump’s accusation, and analysts say individuals throughout all faiths, not simply Christians, are victims of armed teams’ violence

In December, US forces launched air strikes on ISIL-affiliated fighters within the nation’s northwest. Final month, following discussions with Nigerian authorities in Abuja, the pinnacle of US Africa Command confirmed {that a} small crew of US navy officers have been in Nigeria, centered on intelligence help.

Nigeria is dealing with a protracted struggle with dozens of native armed teams more and more battling for turf, together with the homegrown Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, the ISIL affiliate in West Africa Province (ISWAP).

There’s additionally the ISIL-linked Lakurawa, in addition to different “bandit” teams that specialize in kidnapping for ransom and unlawful mining.

Just lately, the disaster worsened to incorporate different fighters from the neighbouring Sahel area, together with the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, which claimed its first assault on Nigerian soil final yr.

A number of thousand individuals in Nigeria have been killed, in keeping with knowledge from the United Nations.

Whereas Christians have been amongst these focused, analysts and residents say nearly all of victims of the armed teams are Muslims within the Muslim-dominated north, the place most assaults happen.

Nigeria’s 240 million individuals are evenly cut up between Christians, primarily within the south, ‌and Muslims, principally within the north.