By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 7, 2014 – About 10 U.S. Africa Command
military personnel will be part of a U.S. team assisting the Nigerian
government in their efforts to find more than 250 schoolgirls kidnapped by the
terrorist group Boko Haram, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren said
today.
President Barack Obama directed the formation of an
interagency coordination and assessment cell after Nigerian President Goodluck
Jonathan accepted a U.S. offer of assistance, the colonel told reporters.
“The Defense Department stands firmly with the people of
Nigeria in their efforts to bring the terrorist violence perpetrated by Boko
Haram to an end while ensuring civilian protection and respect for human
rights,” Warren said.
About three weeks ago, members of the Islamist militant
group Boko Haram raided a girls secondary school in Chibok, Nigeria, located
about 500 miles east of Abuja, the national capital.
According to news reports, the school had been closed due to
terrorist threats, but reopened to allow some students to take graduation
exams. The terrorists reportedly attempted to kidnap more than 300 girls, but
about 50 managed to escape.
The interagency team will include representatives from the
departments of State and Justice and other law enforcement elements, Warren
said. The team is expected to begin arriving “within days” at the U.S. embassy
in Abuja, he added.
There are no plans for broader military operations, Warren
said.
“The personnel that we're sending to Nigeria now, … their
purpose is to coordinate with the Nigerian government and assess what
assistance we can provide them,” the colonel said.
The military personnel will provide a wide range of
expertise in support of the Nigerian government’s search efforts, including
communications, logistics and intelligence, he said.
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