U.S. troops arrive in Nigeria to help train its military, Nigerian military says

Nigeria is seen in this Google map.

ABUJA, Nigeria — About 100 U.S. troops plus equipment have arrived in Nigeria to help train soldiers in the West African country, the Nigerian military announced Monday.

The arrival followed a request by the Nigerian government to the U.S government for help with training, technical support and intelligence-sharing, the military said in a statement.

The deployment follows an easing of tensions that flared between the U.S. and Nigeria when U.S. President Donald Trump said the country wasn’t protecting Christians from an alleged genocide. The Nigerian government has rejected the accusation.

Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, spokesman for Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, previously has said that the U.S. troops won’t engage in combat or have a direct operational role, and that Nigerian forces will have complete command authority.

Nigeria is facing a protracted fight with dozens of local armed groups increasingly battling for turf, including Islamic sects like the homegrown Boko Haram and its breakaway faction Islamic State West Africa Province. There is also the ISIS-linked Lakurawa, as well as other “bandit” groups that specialize in kidnapping for ransom and illegal mining.

The Associated Press