The United States to deploy 200 troops to train Nigeria’s armed forces

The United States plans to deploy 200 troops to Nigeria to train its armed forces in its fight against jihadist groups, Nigerian and US authorities said Tuesday, as Washington stepped up military cooperation with the West African country.

“We’ll use US forces to help with training and technical support,” Nigerian defense ministry.

The plan to deploy troops, would join a small US team who’s already in Nigeria to help identify targets for air strikes.

The additional US troops, expected to arrive in the coming weeks, will provide training and technical guidance, including helping Nigerian forces coordinate operations including air and ground strikes.

Nigeria has come under diplomatic pressure from the United States over insecurity, which US President Donald Trump has described as persecution and genocide against Christians.

Although there have been cases of Christians being targeted, Muslims are also being killed in large numbers.

Massad Boulos, Trump’s top adviser for Arab and African affairs, said last year that Boko Haram and Islamic State were “killing more Muslims than Christians”.

From its part, Abuja rejects allegations of persecution of Christians, while independent analysts say the state has generally failed to rein in violence.

Despite diplomatic pressure, Nigeria and the United States have found common ground in strengthening their military cooperation.

In December, the United States launched raids targeting jihadists in the northwestern state of Sokoto, in a joint operation with Nigeria.

The US military announced that it would provide intelligence to the Nigeria’s Air Force to identify its targets and accelerate weapons purchases.

While the deployment of 200 troops is a reinforcement of this cooperation, “US forces won’t be involved in any combat or direct operations,” according to Nigerian defense ministry.

Nigeria had requested such additional assistance, in order to help fighting a bloody war against a long-running jihadist insurgency concentrated in the northeast, while criminal gangs are carrying out kidnappings for ransom and looting villages in the northwest.

The center of the country is the scene of violent conflicts between farmers, mostly Christians, and Fulani, an ethnic group Muslim herder, although researchers say the main cause of the conflict is a conflict over dwindling land and resources, and its not related to extremism.