Members of the US Congress are trying to stop a $1 billion arms deal with Nigeria – #Members #Congress #stop #billion #arms #deal #Nigeria
WASHINGTON, Feb 15 (Reuters) – On Wednesday USA Two members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, after Reuters reports on the illegal abortion program and the targeted killing of children the president Joe Biden to Nigeria 1 billion the sale of weapons close to a dollar cancellation called to do. It was carried out by the Nigerian Army.
Both members of the subcommittee on Africa, Democrat Sarah Jacobs of California and Republican Chris Smith of New Jersey, also called for a review of security assistance and cooperation programs in Nigeria, including an assessment of the risk of civilian casualties and abuses from arms assistance.
“We USAof Nigeria’s current policy and military We are writing to express our concern about his support,” the MPs said.
The United States has combined security assistance to Nigeria with training aimed at compliance with international law. But the MPs, humanitarian workers, Nigerian security forces “for effective communication with the local population humanitarian law and limited understanding of tools.
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The congressmen added that Washington’s aid so far has done little to end the 14-year-old conflict between the Nigerian military and Islamist rebels in the country’s northeast, and there have been reports of weapons seized by the rebels.
“Therefore, we estimate that approximately 1 billion It would be highly inappropriate to continue to move forward with dollar arms sales, and we will have the Administration do it cancellation we urge you to do deputies they said in the letter.
The White House had no immediate comment.
April month US Department of State Arms sales to Nigeria and others military confirmed support – to this country so far offer the biggest support — after lawmakers on both sides of the aisle blocked the deal over concerns about other violations.
The review request is the second request from Congress in recent months. After the Reuters reports emerged in December, U.S. Senator Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called for a review of U.S. security assistance and cooperation programs in Nigeria and the potential use of sanctions over alleged abuses.
“I look forward to hearing more about the (State) Department’s planned response to the serious and repugnant allegations leveled against a long-time beneficiary of US security assistance and cooperation, which, if found to be credible, have irreparably harmed a generation of Nigerian citizens. and to US credibility in the region,” the Idaho senator said in the letter.
A Reuters investigation has found that since at least 2013, the Nigerian military has operated a covert, systematic and illegal abortion program in the country’s northeast, and that among women and girls at least 10 has ended a thousand pregnancies. Many were kidnapped and raped by Islamist militants. According to witnesses, the resisters were beaten, held at gunpoint or drugged.
Nigerian military leaders have denied the program ever existed, saying the Reuters reports were part of a foreign effort to undermine the country’s fight against insurgents.
Reuters news reports that the Nigerian Army and allied security forces have killed children during a 13-year-long war against Islamist extremists in the country’s northeast. Nigerian military leaders told Reuters that the army had never targeted children for killing.
Reuters’ “Nightmare in Nigeria” series called for an investigation by the Nigerian government from the US State and Defense Departments, the German Foreign Office, the United Nations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Human rights experts said the army’s actions could constitute war crimes.
Nigeria amid international protests Ministry of Defence He agreed to cooperate with the investigation by the Human Rights Commission of Nigeria.
Edited by Julie Marquis
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2023-02-16 05:21:46
Source – reuters
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