Africa-Press. Nigeria and the United States have enhanced security cooperation, prioritizing the protection of vulnerable communities, pursuing perpetrators of terrorism, and resettling internally displaced persons.
Reports indicate that Nigerian officials participated in the meeting, including Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Sula Enikanolai.
According to local media reports, these commitments emerged from the second session of the joint working group between the United States and Nigeria, which addressed Nigeria’s designation as a country of particular concern.
The report noted that the U.S. State Department stated this cooperation is based on progress made since the inaugural meeting of the joint working group in Abuja on January 22.
The report stated: “Discussions focused on three priority areas: protecting Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, holding perpetrators of violence accountable by strengthening judicial and security institutions, and military cooperation between the two countries.” The State Department clarified that both delegations also reviewed the concrete measures Nigeria has taken since the first meeting.
The report continued: “The deputy minister and the Nigerian delegation reviewed the progress made in resettling internally displaced persons to their original homes, pursuing perpetrators of terrorism, and combating the financing of terrorism.”
However, the department noted that challenges persist despite Nigeria’s progress. The report stated: “The team identified ongoing challenges, including reports of civilian casualties and gaps in humanitarian spending transparency.” The United States particularly praised Nigeria’s efforts in pursuing terrorists and expanding its security and judicial capabilities.
The report, citing the U.S. State Department, highlighted that the United States acknowledged Nigeria’s efforts thus far, including the prosecution of hundreds of individuals suspected of belonging to Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa.
The report also commended Nigeria for expanding its judicial capabilities, employing and training an additional fifty thousand police officers. The State Department stated that both sides agreed on the need for further efforts, especially regarding Nigerian displaced persons.
It added: “Both sides acknowledged the need for more efforts, particularly concerning support for internally displaced persons.” The resettlement of internally displaced persons in their original communities emerged as a key element in the bilateral dialogue.
The two countries also discussed enhancing cooperation in tracking and dismantling financial networks that support terrorist organizations. The State Department explained: “The two sides also discussed ongoing cooperation in combating the financing of terrorism, sharing biometric information to support accountability measures, and building law enforcement capacities.”
The U.S. State Department reported that law enforcement cooperation will include its Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement and the Office of Counterterrorism.
It added that military cooperation was a key focus of the discussions, with follow-up meetings held at the Pentagon. The department stated: “Discussions on military cooperation continued at the Pentagon.”
