Submission Statement: The sub might be interested in discussing the ramping up of US military involvement in Nigeria to fight insurgencies. There might be a push from the Christian community around Trump to support Nigeria and push their military to fight against Islamic forces, turning the situation into a religious battle, which also might be of interest to the community (although I haven't followed along closely, so this characterization could be wrong, please comment below).
Text of article:
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WASHINGTON, Feb 10 (Reuters) – The United States is planning to send about 200 troops to Nigeria to train the African nation's military to fight Islamist militants, a U.S. official said on Tuesday, weeks after President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes against what he called Islamic State targets.
The U.S. military said last week it sent a small team of troops to Nigeria without specifying a number, marking the first acknowledgment of U.S. forces on the ground since Washington struck by air on Christmas Day.
Trump has said there could be more U.S. military action in Nigeria and Reuters has reported that the U.S. had been conducting surveillance flights over the country from Ghana since at least late November.
The official said the 200 troops will supplement a handful of U.S. military personnel already in Nigeria to help local forces.
U.S. Africa Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Nigeria has come under intense pressure from Washington to act after Trump alleged the West African nation was failing to protect Christians from Islamist militants operating in the northwest.
The Nigerian government denies any systematic persecution of Christians, saying it is targeting Islamist fighters and other armed groups that attack and kill both Christians and Muslims.
Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters have intensified attacks on military convoys and civilians, and the northwest remains an epicenter of a 17-year Islamist insurgency.
Nigeria's population of over 230 million people is roughly evenly divided among Christians, who predominate in the south, and Muslims, who predominate in the north.
Reporting by Idrees Ali and Kanishka Singh in Washington and Fabiola Arámburo in Mexico City; Editing by Lincoln Feast.
Posted by hypsignathus
2 Comments
Not necessarily against this, but it feels like Trump is actively searching for a new villain every week. Corruption is rampant in the Nigerian Government, however, I don’t think they are actively committing a genocide. Their democratic system is a bit odd like Lebanon’s but they do have quotas to some degree to include religious minorities.
I hope Trump understands that Boko Haram and ISIS are separate paramilitaries, who are non-affiliated with the Government entirely.
I wonder if the US Army Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB), specifically trained to advise foreign soldiers, are involved in this
*Formerly regionally aligned with U.S. Africa Command, the 2nd SFAB was officially shuttered in November 2025.*
Wait haha the Army downsized the training/advise/assist mission by downsizing the advisor force hahahahahaha wow Pete who could have know you’d need an