The United States has officially confirmed the deployment of a small group of military personnel to Nigeria. This is the first acknowledgment of a physical presence of American forces in the country since the airstrikes Washington carried out on Christmas 2025 under the orders of President Donald Trump. This is reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
The decision to send a military team was made after a series of negotiations during which both sides agreed on the need to intensify the fight against the terrorist threat in West Africa. The commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, noted that this step is part of a strategy to deter "Islamic State" militants operating in the region.
This has led to increased cooperation between our countries, including a small US team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States.
He declined to disclose the exact number of personnel or the specifics of their tasks, citing security concerns.
Context of American intervention
The deployment of ground forces occurred amid growing pressure from the Trump administration, which had previously accused Nigerian authorities of failing to protect the Christian population from Islamist attacks. Nigerian Defense Minister Christopher Musa confirmed the work of the American group in the country but also refrained from detailed comments on the scope of their mission.
According to unofficial data, American military specialists will focus on intelligence gathering and coordination with Nigerian units for counter-terrorism operations. It was previously reported that the US had already conducted surveillance flights over the country, using airfields in Ghana.