WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US President Barack Obama has authorized up to $45 million to support African countries in their fight against Boko Haram militant group, the White House National Security spokesperson Ned Price said in a press release on Thursday.
"The President today delegated authority to the Secretary of State to direct the drawdown of up to $45 million in defense articles and services, as well as military education and training, to support Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria's efforts to defeat Boko Haram," Price said.
The US military support will include moving troops and equipment to the border regions where terrorists from Boko Haram have been launching numerous attacks on civilians, the White House said.
"Defeating Boko Haram will require a holistic campaign that protects human rights, pairs progress on development and governance with security measures, and fills in behind military successes with civilian stabilization efforts," Price said.
Boko Haram is a terrorist group that has been operating in Nigeria since 2009, later expanding into Chad, Niger, and Cameroon. The group was previously associated with al-Qaeda jihadist group before shifting its allegiance to the notorious Islamic State militant group earlier in 2015.
The White House said that since 2009 Boko Haram has claimed the lives of more than 10,000 people, and is responsible for displacing over 2 million people and forcing 200,000 others to become refugees throughout the Chad Basin region.
