U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared that the United States will provide an additional $45 million to West African nations as part of an ongoing initiative to address instability.
This announcement brings the total funding under the year-old program to nearly $300 million, as reported by AFP and Reuters.
In a four-nation tour of African democracies, Blinken met separately on Tuesday with President Bola Tinubu and Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara.
As part of his diplomatic engagements, Blinken held separate meetings on Tuesday with President Bola Tinubu and Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara.
The discussions focused on strengthening U.S.-African partnerships across various sectors, including trade, climate, infrastructure, health, and security. This tour follows a summit in Washington with African leaders in December 2022.
Emphasizing the need for progress in countering coups and extremism in West Africa, Blinken pointed to Ivory Coast as a positive example.
In Abidjan, he commended Ivory Coast’s stance against last year’s coup in Niger and highlighted the country’s approach of “building security together” by investing economically to combat extremism in northern areas bordering Mali and Burkina Faso.
Blinken praised Ivory Coast’s strategy of working closely with communities, listening to their concerns, and ensuring that security forces understand and address community needs.
He stated, “I think that can serve as a very powerful model for other countries.”
Acknowledging the security challenges faced by African nations, Blinken expressed gratitude for Ivory Coast’s leadership in the fight against extremism and violence.
He mentioned a significant increase in military training and investments in civil protection in Ivory Coast, promising to enhance on-the-ground cooperation through the training of security forces.
The year 2023 witnessed security challenges across Africa, including a major coup in Niger and ongoing terrorist attacks in Nigeria. Blinken’s visit and commitment to additional aid underscore the United States’ dedication to supporting stability and security in the West African region.