Following the rampant spread of religious killings in the Northern part of Nigeria, the US military is increasing materiel deliveries and intelligence sharing with Nigeria, Africom’s deputy commander told AFP.
The move became imperative for American to push with African militaries to end Islamic State-linked militants.
The Pentagon has also kept open lines of communication with militaries in the junta-led Sahel countries of Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali, Lieutenant General John Brennan said.
The cooperation to end killings follows Washington’s diplomatic pressure on Nigeria over jihadist violence in the country, but also as the US military is becoming “more aggressive” in pursuing IS-linked targets on the continent.
Brennan during an interview session in the Nigerian capital last week said, “Under the Trump administration, we’ve gotten a lot more aggressive and (are) working with partners to target, kinetically, the threats, mainly ISIS.”
“From Somalia to Nigeria, the problem set is connected. So, we’re trying to take it apart and then provide partners with the information they need,” he added.
“It’s been about more enabling partners and then providing them equipment and capabilities with less restrictions so that they can be more successful.”
Charged politics were on display at the Joint Working Group meeting in Abuja, where Allison Hooker, the number three at the State Department, pushed the Nigerian government “to protect Christians” in a speech that did not mention Muslim victims of armed groups.
Nigeria in recent times had experience religious crisis and ethnic identity which has remains a sensitive topic in a country that has seen sectarian violence throughout its history.
He also said that following the US strikes in northwestern Sokoto state, American support going forward would focus on intelligence sharing to aid Nigerian air strikes there, as well as the northeast, where a jihadist insurgency by Boko Haram and rival breakaway ISWAP has raged since 2009.
Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) is “our most concerning group”, he said.
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