The United States is preparing to withdraw about 200 military personnel deployed to Nigeria earlier this year to support the country’s fight against Islamist militants, according to a report by The New York Times.
The planned drawdown, which is expected to be completed by the end of September, follows months of increased US-Nigeria military cooperation, particularly in intelligence gathering, counterterrorism training and operations targeting senior leaders of Islamic State-linked groups in the Lake Chad Basin.
According to the report, US and Nigerian officials described the deployment as relatively small in size but significant in its impact, saying the American military presence had produced results beyond what would ordinarily be expected from such a limited contingent.
Although the bulk of the American personnel are expected to leave Nigeria, small teams of military trainers and intelligence analysts are expected to remain in the country to sustain the security partnership between Washington and Abuja.
The continued presence of the teams is expected to focus largely on intelligence cooperation and capacity building, rather than a large-scale deployment of US combat personnel.
