The United States is set to withdraw about 200 troops deployed to Nigeria for counterterrorism operations, following what American officials described as significant gains against Islamist militants.
According to a report by The New York Times, the larger contingent of US troops is expected to leave Nigeria by late September, while small teams of trainers and intelligence analysts will remain in the country.
American and Nigerian officials said the relatively small deployment had produced notable results in the fight against terrorism through military assistance, intelligence support and training.
US Africa Command commander, Gen. Dagvin Anderson, disclosed last month that the United States had already withdrawn many of its troops following a May operation that killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified as the second-in-command of ISIS, in the Lake Chad Basin.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 significantly weakened the leadership structure of ISIS both in Nigeria and internationally.
He added that Nigeria had remained “very active” since the operation, working to disrupt the terrorists’ ability to sustain their activities.
Despite the troop withdrawal, the United States is expected to maintain its intelligence partnership with Nigeria, with Washington continuing to support the country through intelligence-sharing and other security cooperation.
The development follows recent talks between Nigeria and the US in Washington under a joint working group established to address the protection of Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
The security challenges facing Nigeria, however, extend beyond Islamist insurgency. The country continues to battle ISWAP and Boko Haram attacks, banditry in the North-West, farmer-herder conflicts, cult violence, militia activity and other forms of insecurity.
Ladd Serwat, Africa senior analyst at ACLED, described Nigeria’s security situation as “very complicated”, noting that Islamist militant groups account for only a small proportion of the overall violence in the country.
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