The United States Africa Command has said its military cooperation with Nigeria is based on mutual agreement and respect for the country’s sovereignty, stressing that American forces operate in the country only at Nigeria’s invitation.
AFRICOM’s Director of Public Affairs, Col. Rebecca Heyse, stated this during an X Space discussion on strengthening security cooperation between the United States and Nigeria in the fight against terrorism.
According to Heyse, the partnership is guided by the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group framework and is not imposed on Nigeria.
“Our operations and cooperation with Nigeria are rooted in fundamental respect for Nigerian sovereignty. We operate strictly by invitation and under the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group framework,” she said.
She added that the United States would remain committed to the partnership for as long as both countries continued to face common security threats and found the collaboration beneficial.
Also speaking, the Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, said Nigeria determines the extent and duration of the partnership based on its security needs.
He noted that the Armed Forces of Nigeria were benefiting from specialised training, skills development and operational support provided through the collaboration.
“The cooperation is at the instance of Nigeria. The competencies, specialised capabilities and expertise the United States brings are things we require, and as long as we require them, we will continue to work together under the Joint Working Group framework,” Uba said.
He disclosed that hundreds of Nigerian military personnel were currently undergoing training in the North-East under the arrangement.
Presidential spokesman Sunday Dare also commended the partnership, saying it had strengthened Nigeria’s counter-insurgency operations and contributed to successes recorded in the fight against terrorism.
“We want to thank the US government for the active collaboration they have had with our military. Nigeria has seen the war against terror increase in tempo and consistency, and we have recorded massive successes in counter-insurgency operations,” Dare said.
The comments come amid continued security cooperation between both countries, including training programmes and intelligence support aimed at tackling terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria.
