Following the approval of President Barack Obama for the deployment of US Marines to the troubled Nigeria for the search and rescue of over 200 school girls kidnapped by the dreaded Boko Haram sect, the troops are in Nigeria to help the country’s security services tackle increasing threats.
They are described in Wikipedia as “an amphibious, expeditionary, air-ground combined arms task force, capable of forcible entry from the air, land, and sea. It is capable of asymmetric warfare with conventional, irregular, and hybrid forces.
While the Marine Corps does not employ any unique combat arms, as a force it can rapidly deploy a combined-arms task force to almost anywhere in the world within days.”
Nigeria is playing host to the 7th World Economic Forum Africa in Abuja amid heightened security challenges. The summit is expected to be attended by over 10 heads of state and government as well as over 900 delegates from 70 countries. Presidents of Algeria, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mali Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania and Togo have confirmed attendance.
Former British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and former President of Brazil, Lula da Silva, are expected to attend. Also, over 50 chief executives of big global corporations have confirmed attendance. However, because of recent blasts in Nyanya – on the outskirts of Abuja – there have been heightened fears of a possible terror attack during the summit.
Nigerian government has been assuring the world that it would provide maximum security, announcing a
complete shut-down of schools and government offices during the summit. 6,000-strong Nigerian security operatives, made up of soldiers and other security agents, have been deployed in Abuja – the heaviest security for a summit in Nigeria.
For now, the US marines will first train Nigerians soldiers. The marines are highly specialised soldiers who have been deployed in areas affected by serious conflict and terrorism, such as Afghanistan and Iraq.
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