24th January, 2024
By Ismail Abdulaziz
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has said while America is committed to lasting peace and security in Africa, such support would depend on the region’s dependable efforts at ensuring the safety of civilian populations.
Blinken said this on Tuesday in Abuja after meeting with President Bola Tinubu during his visit to Nigeria as part of his tour of African nations.
Blinken said it was important from the U.S. perspective and the perspective of the U.S. Congress to focus on making sure that civilians were protected.
“That humanitarian considerations be taken into concern. As all of these efforts are underway, and that’s part of our dialogue and conversation too, with our partners in Nigeria, and elsewhere in the region,” he said.
“Having said that, it’s important that we work to support our partners who are trying to find effective ways of providing security, and we are working to support Nigeria, to support our Lake Chad region partners.
“To strengthen the capacity of their security forces in a whole variety of ways to deal with insecurity. And yes, that does go to equipment and technology for weapons and we’re working on that.
“But it also goes to many other things including information sharing, intelligence, technical support, advice, and it goes to having a comprehensive approach that genuinely focuses on citizen security.
“Working with local communities, in partnership, demonstrating the security forces that are there, first and foremost, to protect them and to support their needs,” he said.
He said the U.S. was concerned about the security challenges faced by Africa in securing the region from extreme terrorism, violence and other criminal activities that affected the people.
He decried insecurity and resort to undemocratic means of changing democratically elected leaders like the situation in Niger Republic.
Blinken said the collaboration between African countries and America must be based on critical regional strategies to address these situations.
“So when you look at what we are doing, we’re providing assistance through a variety of methods through our diplomacy.
“Engaging with other countries through our security systems, through police and military justice programmes, reforms, which are vital through dialogue efforts through development programmes; all of these things work hand in hand,” said Blinken.
He said the U.S. would continue to collaborate with regional and global partners to ensure that various strategies were employed to solve the worsening security situation on the continent. (NAN) (www.nannews)