The United States has confirmed the deployment of a small contingent of military personnel to Nigeria, marking the first official acknowledgment that U.S. forces are operating on the ground in the country amid growing security concerns.General Dagvin R.M. Anderson disclosed the development, saying it followed discussions with President Bola Tinubu during a meeting in Rome late last year.
According to the senior U.S. military officer, the decision came after both countries agreed that additional measures were needed to address the terrorist threat across West Africa. “This has resulted in increased cooperation between our nations, including the deployment of a small U.S. team with unique capabilities to support and enhance what Nigeria has been doing for several years,” Anderson, who heads the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), told journalists at a press briefing on Tuesday.
The exact date of the team’s arrival was not disclosed, but the personnel are expected to provide specialised support in areas such as intelligence and operational planning to assist Nigerian forces in countering extremist groups. The deployment follows U.S. airstrikes carried out on December 25 against an Islamic State-linked group, marking a recent escalation in American involvement in security operations in the region.
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