US determined to remain strong security partner for Nigeria

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday said the United States is determined to remain a strong security partner for Nigeria, whose military is backed by the U.S., Britain and other allies in a long war against Islamist insurgents.
Blinken also discussed challenges to democracy and security in the region during his meeting on Tuesday with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu in a visit that comes after last year’s coup in neighboring Niger, one of a series of coups or attempted power grabs over the past few years in West and Central Africa.
“The United States is determined to be and remain a strong security partner for Nigeria,” Blinken told reporters.
Blinken added that he discussed how it is vitally important there be a focus on ensuring civilians are protected and humanitarian considerations.
Observers have noted a pattern of deadly aerial assaults by the Nigerian military that have killed civilians, which was the subject of a Reuters special report last year.