Blinken pledges $45 million to boost coastal West Africa security
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday pledged $45 million in additional financing to help fight conflict and bring stability to coastal West Africa, where insecurity linked to jihadist insurgencies has increased in recent years.
Mr Blinken is on the second stop of a four-nation tour of Africa, taking him to Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Angola from January 21 to 26.
The trip aims to discuss U.S.-African partnerships over trade, climate, infrastructure, health, security, and other issues.
It follows a summit in Washington with African leaders in December 2022.
Security challenges in West Africa, the fallout of a coup in Niger last year, and Russia’s growing influence in the region are among key topics during Mr Blinken’s trip.
He arrived in Ivory Coast’s financial capital, Abidjan, on Monday evening. He met President Alassane Ouattara on Tuesday morning, after which he announced the extra financing at a joint press briefing.
Ivory Coast is one of several coastal West African countries impacted in recent years by Islamist insurgencies that took root in Mali in 2012 and spread across the Sahel region despite costly, internationally backed military efforts to contain it.
“We spent a lot of time discussing mutual security challenges,” Mr Blinken said. “We appreciate Ivory Coast’s leadership in the fight against extremism and violence.”
The funding will supplement $300 million the U.S. has already invested in coastal West Africa over the past two years.
“We have increased military training by 15 times and are investing in civil protection in Ivory Coast,” Mr Blinken added.
Mr Ouattara said security in the region remained a challenge.
“That is why we do appreciate the USA for their support in the area of intelligence and the fight against terrorism,” he said.
The U.S. faced a setback in its fight against militants in the Sahel when military officers toppled Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum, a key ally, in July last year.
The coup in Niger was one of a series of military takeovers or attempted power grabs that occurred in West and Central Africa over the past three years.
The instability has raised concern, particularly as juntas have cut ties with traditional Western allies such as the European Union and France, which withdrew thousands of troops from the Sahel last year.
In the afternoon, Mr Blinken met Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank, at a sub-regional rice research institute.
He is scheduled to fly to Nigeria in the evening.
(Reuters/NAN)
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
World
Mother, son charged with $1 million fraud scheme
If convicted, both face up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine for each count.
Politics
PDP guber candidate Ajayi promises to develop Ondo riverine areas if elected
“I want to make a difference and keep everybody busy by changing the state narrative,” said the PDP flag bearer.
Sport
Europa Conference League: Olympiacos stun Aston Villa; Fiorentina beat 10-man Club Brugge 3-2
Aston Villa have a big obstacle to overcome going into the second leg of the encounter in Greece on Thursday.
Sport
Bayer Leverkusen one leg in Europa League final beating Roma 2-0; Atalanta hold Marseille
Both teams will face each other in the second leg in Italy on Thursday.
Anti-Corruption
Nigerian transnational fraudster captured, convicted after scamming 400 U.S. citizens in multimillion-dollar fraud scheme
“Fraudsters like this individual proved to be unethical by ruthlessly targeting the elderly in the name of greed,” said HSI special agent Francisco B. Burrola.
Economy
Nigeria in trouble as Tinubu inherited economic death sentence from Buhari: Shettima
“It’s an economic death sentence,” Mr Shettima said.