Nigeria: US deploys 200 troops to fight jihadists

The US has confirmed the deployment of 200 US troops to Nigeria to fight jihadist violence, which is an escalating threat in the country, as reported by Africa News and agencies on February 11th.

US President Donald Trump had previously ordered missile strikes against alleged Islamic State camps in Nigeria’s northeast in December; however, the presence of US troops in Nigeria was not confirmed until February 3rd, when it was reported that a small military group was deployed.

According to the US Africa Command, the move was in coordination with the Nigerian government. Its purpose is to strengthen efforts in combating terrorism in regions where groups like Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State in Western Province (ISWAP), are particularly active.

Both groups are affiliated with the Islamic State and seek to destabilise society and impose an Islamic Caliphate in Nigeria, which would be governed by Sharia Law.

However, the threat posed by jihadist militants and Islamic State-affiliated groups is not limited to Nigeria, as the West African and Sahel region more broadly has increasingly become a global epicentre for Islamist insurgencies and violence.

It is also possible that the presence of US troops is linked to Trump’s repeated claims that jihadist groups are perpetrating a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, despite independent analysts and human rights organisations finding no evidence to support these claims.

Additionally, jihadist militants are primarily active in the predominantly Muslim northern Nigeria, while Christians are primarily concentrated in southern Nigeria, and western Nigeria typically experiences intercommunal violence.

The northeastern Borno State is a region where jihadists are particularly active, with thousands of people being forced to flee to neighbouring Cameroon amid escalating violence.

At an Abuja-based Joint Working Group meeting in January, US diplomat Allison Hooker urged the Nigerian government to “protect Christians”, but seemingly omitted any reference to the Muslim victims of violence in Nigeria.

Despite applying pressure to Nigeria over allegations of a “Christian genocide“, the US has significantly cut humanitarian aid to Nigeria, which the World Food Program says could lead to desperate people being drawn to militants for food and protection.

On February 8th, Pope Leo XVI called for an end to violence in Nigeria as he addressed crowds at the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square, saying, “I express my prayerful closeness to all victims of violence and terrorism.”

Africa News and agencies, Maghrebi.org