Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, announced a $45 million contribution on Tuesday to tackle the escalating security concerns in Nigeria and neighboring coastal West African countries.
Blinken, who met Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank in Côte d’Ivoire, is currently on the second stop of a four-country tour across West Africa, including visits to Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Angola, scheduled from January 21 to 26.
According to Reuters, the additional funding will add to the $300 million that the U.S. has previously allocated to support initiatives in coastal West Africa over the last two years.
What Anthony Blinken is Saying
Speaking in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire’s capital, Blinken said the presence of the United States in Africa is driven by a straightforward reality – the destinies, populations, and prosperity of America and Africa are more interconnected than ever before.
He added that Washington has contributed nearly $300 million in “stability-focused assistance”, since 2022.
- “We’re here for a very simple reason – because America and Africa’s futures, their peoples, their prosperity are linked and joined as never before.
- “We spent a lot of time discussing mutual security challenges. We appreciate Ivory Coast’s leadership in the fight against extremism and violence.
- “We have increased military training by 15 times and are investing in civil protection in Ivory Coast,” Blinken said.
What you should know
- West African countries have been impacted in recent years by insurgencies that took root in Mali in 2012 and spread across the Sahel region despite costly, internationally-backed military efforts to contain it.
- In addition, the U.S. faced a setback in its fight against militants in the Sahel when military juntas toppled Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum, a key ally, in July last year.
- Meanwhile, in Nigeria, there have been multiple attacks of banditry and cases of kidnapping particularly in the north-central part of the country.
- As part of his tour to West Africa, Blinken will travel to Nigeria later today, January 23 before wrapping his trip in Angola.
