ISTANBUL

The US has delivered “critical” military supplies to Nigerian forces in a move aimed at strengthening bilateral defense cooperation, the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) said on Tuesday.

The delivery to Washington’s “Nigerian partners” in the capital Abuja “supports Nigeria’s ongoing operations and emphasizes our shared security partnership,” AFRICOM said on US social media company X.

Nigeria’s security crisis has recently drawn international attention and tension, as the US alleged that violence in the country amounts to persecution of Christian communities, with some officials and commentators labelling parts of the conflict as a form of religiously-targeted violence and warning of action if the situation does not improve.

The Nigerian government has rejected claims of genocide or religious targeting, stressing that both Christian and Muslim communities suffer from insecurity and that the violence stems from complex socio-economic and criminal dynamics.

Late last year, the US also carried out airstrikes against militant camps in northwestern Nigeria in collaboration with the Nigerian government, as part of counter-terrorism cooperation and efforts to degrade extremist networks. ​​​​​​​