Photo: Alamy
About 100 U.S. troops and military equipment have arrived in Nigeria to help train the country’s armed forces as it fights Islamic militants and other armed groups, the Nigerian military said Monday.
The deployment follows a request from the Nigerian government for assistance with training, technical support and intelligence-sharing, officials said in a statement. The U.S. personnel are expected to work in advisory and training roles rather than participate in combat operations.
The arrival comes after tensions between the United States and Nigeria eased following remarks by President Donald Trump accusing the country of failing to protect Christians from what he described as an alleged genocide. Nigerian officials rejected that accusation, while analysts have said the conflict is more complex, with civilians often targeted regardless of religious affiliation.
Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, spokesman for Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters, previously said U.S. troops will not engage in combat or take on a direct operational role, adding that Nigerian forces will retain full command authority.
The deployment follows earlier U.S. military activity in Nigeria. In December, U.S. forces carried out airstrikes against Islamic State-affiliated militants in northwestern Nigeria, and last month the head of U.S. Africa Command confirmed that a small team of U.S. officers was already in the country focusing on intelligence support.
Nigeria has struggled for years with a growing security crisis involving multiple armed factions. These include the homegrown Boko Haram insurgency and its breakaway faction Islamic State West Africa Province, as well as Lakurawa, which is linked to the Islamic State. Other armed groups, often referred to as “bandits,” are known for kidnapping for ransom and illegal mining.
The security situation has also worsened as fighters from the broader Sahel region move into Nigerian territory. Among them is Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, which claimed its first attack on Nigerian soil last year.
Several thousand people have been killed in the violence, according to United Nations data, and analysts say government efforts have struggled to keep pace with the expanding threat, the AP reported. While Christian communities have been targeted in some attacks, analysts and residents say most victims are Muslims living in the country’s predominantly Muslim north, where many of the assaults take place.