ABUJA — The United States has pulled back the majority of military forces it deployed to Nigeria for a recent operation against Islamic State militants, with American support now shifting to intelligence sharing at Nigeria’s request, the commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) announced.
Back in May, U.S. and Nigerian forces carried out joint military operations in northeastern Nigeria, resulting in the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, who held the second-highest position in ISIS’s global leadership structure. That mission came after a Christmas Day strike against the militants ordered by President Donald Trump, who stated that the group had been targeting Christians in Nigeria.
Speaking at a conference of African defense chiefs held in Angola on Thursday, AFRICOM Commander General Dagvin Anderson called the May joint operation a blueprint for how the U.S. should approach security partnerships across Africa going forward.
“We have withdrawn much of our forces that were just there for that operation, but are continuing the partnership that Nigeria has asked for to help continue with the intelligence sharing,” Anderson told reporters during a briefing hosted by the U.S. State Department following the conference.
Anderson explained that the operation, which took place in Nigeria’s Lake Chad Basin region, reflected Washington’s broader strategy of offering specialized military capabilities while letting African partner nations take the lead in their own security operations.
He noted that the collaboration with Nigeria had dealt a significant blow to Islamic State’s leadership structure, and said the effects were felt beyond West Africa due to the group’s far-reaching international network. The operation also disrupted broader ISIS communications and activities, not just local commanders, he added.
“Nigeria has been very active since that operation in May,” Anderson said. “They continue to prosecute targets themselves.”
Anderson also pointed out that sustained military pressure from Nigeria, combined with publicizing the operation’s success, had prompted more ISIS fighters in northeastern Nigeria to defect or surrender.
The three-day gathering in Luanda, Angola’s capital, brought together military leaders from 35 African nations, as well as representatives from the United States and Brazil.
