By Ismail Auwal
The US department of states announced that the country and Nigeria are fully committed to fighting terrorism.
This was contained in a statement by the spokesperson of the state’s department.
A virtual meeting was co-hosted by Nigeria and the USA, with the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and representatives of West African, Africa Union, European Union, ECOWAS, in attendance.
The meeting was convened to discuss the threat of ISIS in West Africa and ways that the coalition could contribute to collective efforts to ensure ISIS’s enduring defeat in the region.
According to the statement, the Coordinator for Counterterrorism Ambassador, Nathan A. Sales, “expressed appreciation at the Nigerian delegation, led by Rear Admiral Yaminu E. Musa, Coordinator for the Counter Terrorism Centre in Nigeria’s Office of the National Security Adviser, for co-hosting the event.
Adding, “the coalition also announced Mauritania’s accession to the coalition as the 83rd member.
Since January 2017, the coalition has welcomed 14 new members from Africa and Asia, making it continue to expand its reach and cooperation against ISIS branches and affiliates.”
“The session, moderated by U.S. special envoy for the Sahel, Ambassador J. Peter Pham, had panelists from Global Coalition members – Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Niger, and co-host Nigeria, providing key perspectives on the evolution of ISIS affiliates and their troubling activities in West Africa,” the department says.
“The panelists also suggested ways the coalition could enhance efforts to counter these trends.
“As the Global Coalition seeks to apply lessons learned from the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria to other locations, participants reviewed potential lines of effort, including the use of battlefield evidence and border security measures that could be applied in West Africa.”
