The United States says it has announced a five billion US
dollars contribution to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), to boost
the military operation against the Boko Haram insurgency.
The US Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, Amb.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, announced this at news briefing via telephone from the
African Union Summit on Monday on the US interests in Africa,
NAN correspondent monitored the press briefing at the US
Embassy in Abuja. “We have been working with Nigeria as well as the African
countries innovation to address their concerns about Boko Haram because we
don’t see this as just a Nigerian problem.
“We are having discussions with President Buhari on how we
might bolster our support. We have already been working with them and providing
information.
“We are providing some training and support and we’ll love
to work with the new administration to see how we might increase the level of
support to Nigeria.
“At the same time,
we’ve just announced at the venue of the AU, five billion dollars contribution
to the Multinational Task Force.
“We are also providing some equipment and support and we
have a number of meetings with the countries who are members of the Multinational
Joint Task Force to look at other areas we might support.”
Thomas-Greenfield said that Africa had faced “some really
horrendous terrorist attacks” over the past two years.
He said that the West Gate and Garissa University attacks in
Kenya, and the Boko Haram attacks particularly, the kidnapping of the Chibok
girls among others.
“While I would not say Africa is under siege, Africa has
some major security challenges. That requires a very strong and very concerted
strategic effort by African countries and partners to address the security
concerns of Africa.”
According to her, the US is providing a strong support to AU
on security as the US has a strong partnership with the continent on security.
“We are working closely with the Lake Chad Basin countries:
Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon to address the issues of Boko Haram,” she
said.
She said the US had so far trained about 250,000 African
peacekeepers, saying U.S. highest priority in Africa remained security.
NAN reports that the US envoy expressed support to the
warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against
Sudan President Omar Al-Bashir.
She said that the US frowned at plans by some African
leaders to subvert the constitution to extend their terms in office, saying US
supports two-term limit in office.
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