The United States government has committed about $500 million to the Boko Haram insurgency since 2009, the US Charge d’Affaires to the African Union has said.
Susan Page was responding to a question on the financial commitment of the US government, at the Africa Regional Media Hub telephonic media briefing on Thursday.
“I believe that it is upward of $485 million, just from the State Department side in certain, you know, the way that we have to resource these things from different elements of our foreign affairs budget,” said Ms. Page.
“But it is close to $500 million, I believe.
“And like I said, most of that is bilateral assistance, so it is going to various countries in the Lake Chad Basin region to strengthen their own borders, and other support and capacity building.”
The US Mission to the African Union was established in 2006 as the first non-African observer mission to the AU. Since that time, China’s PRC Mission and the EU Mission had opened their own independent missions.
Darryl Williams, Commander of US Army Africa, said the U.S. have been “very impressed” with its relationship with the Nigerian Army.
“I have personally been there twice and I have met with their chief,” said Mr. Williams, a Major-General, who also serves as the co-host of the African Land Forces Summit 2016.
“The AFRICOM staff, to include all elements, the components I talked about, whether it was the Army, the Marines, all components in AFRICOM are synchronizing and coordinating with the Nigerian military.
“And that’s what we are doing right now. I have army soldiers on the ground today working with the Nigerian Army. And it is not just a one-way street. We are learning as much from the Nigerian Army as they are learning from us.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
Learn and learn correctly!
ReplyDelete