BREAKING NEWS, Security
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Darrel Issa, a United States congressman assures the nation that the arms embargo on Nigeria will be lifted soon to allow the military to re-equip and receive more training
THE United States current arms embargo on Nigeria will soon be over. Darrel Issa, head of a delegation of the US Congress Committee on Judiciary to the country, disclosed this while speaking with journalists after an indoor meeting with Nigeria’s military chiefs at the National Defence College, Abuja.
Issa said that the US had started the process of lifting the restrictions of the Leahy Law on Nigeria because of the recent moves to professionalise the military by Abayomi Olonisakin, a major-general and chief of Defence Staff, and other service chiefs.
He disclosed that the support for Nigeria would be in the area of training, technical support and equipment provision was not tied to the Leahy and had not been stopped.
He said that the US was relying on President Muhammadu Buhari and the military chiefs to rebuild the trust of Nigerians in the military as an institution that would protect the citizenry.
The US congressman said that Nigerian military chiefs and the US delegation had discussed the issue of additional support, especially in the area of aerial surveillance critical to the fight against insurgency and the theft of the nation’s crude oil.
He said: “There are a number of things that we discussed today…. So the process has begun to lift the restriction of the Leahy. But let’s understand that the vast majority of support that the US provides and would provide would be provided regardless of those. Our technical support, our training and most of the equipment we supply have never stopped and will continue.
“But we are looking forward to the president, with the new General Staff to work to make sure the people of Nigeria can have the confidence in the professionalism of the military, something the people rely on when the military is trying to clear insurgents and protect civilians.”
The Leahy Law is a human rights law of the US, which prevents the US State Department and the Department of Defence from selling arms and ammunition to countries whose military are believed to have committed brazen acts of rights violation.
The refusal of the US government to sell arms to the country because of the Leahy law had made Nigeria under former President Goodluck Jonathan to explore other options, including the Black Market, to get desperately needed arms and ammunition to stop the advances of the Boko Haram insurgents.
— Aug 4, 2015 @ 13:10 GMT
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