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The United States is preparing to withdraw about 200 troops deployed to Nigeria for counterterrorism operations, with the larger contingent expected to leave by late September, according to a report by The New York Times.
American and Nigerian officials told the publication that the deployment, though relatively small, produced significant results in the fight against Islamist militants. Small teams of US trainers and intelligence analysts are expected to remain in Nigeria after the withdrawal.
The report said US officials regarded the Nigerian deployment as a potential model for future American counterterrorism operations in Africa, particularly because of the results achieved through a combination of military assistance, intelligence support and training.
Last month, US Africa Command commander, Gen. Dagvin Anderson, said the US had already withdrawn many of its troops following a May operation that killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified as the second-in-command of ISIS, in the Lake Chad Basin.
Anderson said the operation had significantly weakened ISIS’ leadership structure in Nigeria and internationally. He added that Nigeria had been “very active” since the operation, working to disrupt the terrorists’ ability to sustain themselves.
Despite the troop reduction, Anderson said the US would maintain its intelligence partnership with Nigeria, indicating that Washington’s security engagement with the country will continue through intelligence-sharing and other forms of cooperation.
The development comes weeks after Nigeria and the US held their second round of talks in Washington under a joint working group established to address the protection of Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt. The group followed President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern over allegations of Christian genocide, a position Nigeria has rejected.
Security challenges, however, extend beyond Islamist insurgency. Nigeria continues to contend with terrorism linked to the wider Sahel, banditry in the North-West, ISWAP, ISIS and Boko Haram attacks, farmer-herder conflicts, cult violence and militia activity.
Ladd Serwat, Africa senior analyst at ACLED, described the situation as “a very complicated security situation”, while noting that Islamist militant groups “constitute only a small proportion of the overall violence” in Nigeria.
