The United States is preparing to withdraw about 200 troops deployed to Nigeria as part of its counterterrorism efforts, following what American officials described as significant gains against Islamist militants in the region.
According to the New York Times, the Pentagon plans to pull the troops out of Nigeria by late September, marking the winding down of the larger US military deployment to the country.
The troops were deployed earlier this year to support Nigerian forces in the fight against Islamist militants through intelligence, training and other counterterrorism activities.
Although the deployment was relatively small, American and Nigerian officials told the newspaper that it produced significant results, particularly in intelligence-sharing and counterterrorism operations.
The report, however, said the withdrawal would not bring an end to US military cooperation with Nigeria, as small teams of trainers and intelligence analysts are expected to remain in the country after the larger contingent leaves.
American officials also reportedly described the deployment as a model for future US counterterrorism operations in Africa, suggesting that a smaller military footprint combined with intelligence cooperation and support for local forces could be used in similar missions.
The planned withdrawal follows a May operation in the Lake Chad Basin that killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified as the second-in-command of ISIS.
Last month, commander of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), Dagvin Anderson, said the United States had already pulled back many of its troops from Nigeria following the operation.
Anderson said the May operation had significantly degraded ISIS’ leadership structure both in Nigeria and globally.
He also said Nigeria had remained “very active” since the operation, particularly in efforts to prevent terrorists from sustaining themselves independently.
According to Anderson, the United States would continue its intelligence partnership with Nigeria despite the reduction in the number of American personnel deployed to the country.
The planned troop withdrawal comes amid continued security cooperation between Abuja and Washington, including discussions on counterterrorism and the protection of vulnerable communities.
The development also comes weeks after Nigeria and the United States held their second round of talks in Washington under a joint working group focused on protecting Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
