About 200 U.S. soldiers will arrive in Nigeria in the coming weeks to train the country’s military in counterterrorism operations, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing U.S. and Nigerian officials. The troops will reinforce a small American contingent already stationed there.
The U.S. forces will assist Nigerian units with intelligence use and coordination of joint air and ground operations, according to the newspaper. They will not take part in combat, Nigerian military spokesman Gen. Samaila Uba said.
“U.S. soldiers will not be involved in fighting,” Uba said, adding that Nigeria requested the support.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christian communities from jihadist attacks, particularly in the country’s northwest. On Dec. 25, the United States carried out airstrikes on suspected Islamic State targets in Nigeria, which is battling multiple armed groups nationwide.
Meanwhile, Russia is stepping up efforts to deepen ties with African countries, seeking new opportunities to deploy diplomats, intelligence officers and influence agents expelled from Europe and other Western nations, Estonia’s Foreign Intelligence Service said in its annual report.
“Moscow is trying to convince African societies of its own narratives and spread anti-Western slogans,” the report said, portraying Russia as a defender of a “truly multipolar world order” offering equal partnerships, in contrast to what it described as Western “neocolonial” practices.
Beyond military cooperation, the report said Russia is expanding its soft-power outreach, including education and culture. The Russkiy Mir Foundation, which promotes the Russian language abroad, has opened new centers in Burundi and Uganda.
Russian universities hosted about 35,000 African students in 2025, according to the report, and state agencies have launched educational programs targeting citizens of Chad, Eritrea, Djibouti and Guinea.
The Estonian agency noted, however, that relations have been strained after some foreign students, including those from Zambia, Tanzania, Guinea, Cameroon, Eritrea and Nigeria, were recruited and sent to fight in Ukraine, where many were killed. Some families received no compensation, and embassies were not notified of the deaths.
Estonian intelligence also said Moscow is preparing to host its third Russia-Africa summit later this year, following meetings in St. Petersburg in 2023 and Sochi in 2019.
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Source: PAP, Polish Radio