World
‘US Striving For Stronger Ties With Nigeria’
Mr Ice: Okay. Let’s go to the line of Lara Jakes, New York Times. Lara.
Hi, good afternoon, everyone. I wanted to press you a little bit more on Tigray, if I could. As you noted a few minutes ago, the United States has already taken steps, has issued demands for Eritrean troops to leave the region and for the atrocities to end. So I’m wondering: What deliverables are you looking for from tomorrow’s meeting or maybe even possible at this point as a result of tomorrow’s meeting? And is Secretary Blinken’s statement today a signal of any kind of announcement that may be made tomorrow or – about new actions or penalties?
Amb Godec: Thanks for the question. Well, I’m not going to get into the details of what might be discussed very specifically by way of announcements that might or might not come. What I would say is this, is Tigray is, as I said, a grave concern. It’s a – it is a crisis. And the instability and the fighting in Tigray is not just an Ethiopian issue. It’s a regional issue, and so it does pose risks to the entire region. We have spoken with President Kenyatta about this issue previously, and I’m sure – and we’ve spoken with other regional leaders and we will continue to do so. And we continue to look for ways to – what – bring the conflict to an end. And the regional leaders play a very important role in making that happen, and so we are in close communication with them.
Mr Ice: Okay. Let’s go to the line of Daphne Psaledakis of Reuters.
Hi, can you hear me?
Amb Godec: Yes, we got you.
Hi. Thanks for doing this. Chad’s new military rulers on Monday named the prime minister of a transitional government, a move dismissed by opposition leaders. Does the U.S. support the appointment and does the army have a right to pick a premier?
Amb Godec: So, we are gravely concerned by the events in Chad last week: the death of President Deby and the fighting which was taking place. We continue to closely monitor the situation on the ground. We are speaking with a number of people about it, of course. And we have been and continue to advocate for a peaceful and democratic transition to a civilian-led government. We’ve long stood with the people of Chad in advocating for democratic and representative government. The naming of a civilian prime minister is potentially a positive first step in restoring civilian governance.
I think it’s important to sort of stress that the Chadian people deserve an inclusive national dialogue where all the stakeholders can come together to decide the future of their country. The African Union Peace and Security Council had issued a statement recently and called for such a dialogue. We support the African Union initiative. We support the mission that they’re sending to Chad. And again, we would urge that this moment be taken to move the country forward in a democratic direction and that the people have an opportunity to really have a democracy, have a representative government.
Thank you.
Mr Ice: Okay. Let’s go to Noah Pitcher of Today News Africa.
Hi. Thanks for taking my question. So many African countries, including Nigeria and Kenya, have dealt with the food insecurity and economic instability for some time now, but the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic have, in many cases, exacerbated and complicated these pre-existing issues. As he speaks with presidents of Nigeria and Kenya, how does the Secretary plan to address these problems? And what is the administration’s vision for the U.S.’s practical role in helping African nations continue to develop and also economically recover from the pandemic?
Amb Godec: Thanks very much for the question. You’re certainly raising an important issue. I mean, first, we have to get past the pandemic. And we’re committed, as I said, to working with the entire world to do that, including the countries of Africa. But once it’s past, once the pandemic itself is over and, in fact, even before, in many respects, we do need to address the economic consequences of the pandemic. And so this is something that is under discussion. We are looking at ways in which we can assist. There are upcoming conferences and meetings that will be addressing this and which should be providing more detail, making things more concrete, more definite.
We already support some of the stuff that the international financial institutions are doing by way of making assistance available to help address the economic consequences of the crisis. And this, of course, is all in addition to the wide-ranging assistance that we already provide to both Kenya and Nigeria. We’re already providing in Kenya, for example, considerable education assistance, health assistance, assistance to youth, a wide range of things, and, of course, we do a lot of things in Nigeria as well.
So, as we move forward, we will be looking at what new things need to be done specifically to address the consequences of the pandemic, but also what we’re doing now and whether there’s additional ways to pivot or change that to make it more responsive to the new reality that Covid-19 unfortunately has brought to African countries and, indeed, to the world.
Mr Ice: And I think we’ve got time for one more question. Let’s go to Christopher Woody at Business Insider. Christopher.
Thank you for your time today. During the testimony last week before Congress, the head of U.S. Africa Command expressed concern about Chinese engagement in Africa. I wanted to ask if Secretary Blinken plans to bring up any specific concerns he has about Kenya’s or Nigeria’s engagements with China during his meetings.
Amb Godec: So, I think I would start here. The entire administration, President and the Secretary and all of us, really see African countries as partners – pursue our shared interests, things we’re working on, and I mentioned earlier security, global health, climate change, democracy, economic growth, all the rest of it. And that’s – that is the way the United States engages with Africa. We talk with Africans about what they want. We discuss our shared interests. We look for a way forward. That’s the basis.
So, with respect to China, we don’t see our relationship with Africa through the frame of China. Obviously, China is a very serious competitor. China’s a central challenge that’s going to define the 21st century. It’s something that we do have to address. In Africa, we’re going to meet the challenge that China presents by working to ensure that, for example, American companies can compete on an even playing field, provide a meaningful alternative to China’s economic approach. We’re going to push back on corrupt or coercive practices. We’re going to encourage Africans to look for a range of deals and offers on things that they need and want and make sure – and work to make sure that the American offer is the best offer and the one that’s most attractive.
I think that what I can say is that the United States offers an alternative vision, or certainly a very different vision from the one that China presents, on economic development, on democratic governance, on human rights, on transparency, and all the rest of it. And I think that that ultimately is a very attractive model, and we’ll continue to emphasize that to the Africans and work with them, again, to achieve our shared objectives.
Mr Ice%3 Very good. Everyone, that’s all we have time for this afternoon, I do want to thank everyone for joining us. I’d especially like to thank Acting Assistant Secretary Bob Godec for joining us today. And with that, the call is ended and the embargo is lifted. Have a nice day.
Amb Godec: Thanks very much, everybody. Bye-bye.
Pope Francis expressed concern about “the increasingly concrete threat of a world war at a New Year’s reception for foreign ambassadors to the Holy See.
The head of the Catholic Church called on diplomats to engage in dialogue, even with difficult interlocutors.
Dialogue he said is the only way to break the chains of hatred and vengeance that bind and to defuse the explosive power of human selfishness, pride and arrogance, which is the root of every destructive determination to wage war.
He said his wish for 2025 was for the war in Ukraine to end, and repeated his appeal for a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict.
The 88-year-old pontiff also warned of the dangers of the spread of fake news, which not only distorts facts but also perceptions.
“This phenomenon generates false images of reality, a climate of suspicion that foments hate, undermines people’s sense of security and compromises civil coexistence and the stability of entire nations,” he said.
Since 2013, Pope Francis has been the leader not only of some 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, but also the head of the Vatican City State.
The smallest state in the world maintains diplomatic relations with 184 countries.
United States President Joe Biden has promised Israel “ironclad” United States support amid fears that Tehran could launch reprisals for an attack that killed senior Iranians.
Mr Biden warned that Iran is threatening to launch a “significant attack” after Israel struck the Iranian consulate in Syria 10 days ago.
“We’re going to do all we can to protect Israel’s security,” he added.
Earlier on Wednesday, Iran’s leader said the Israeli attack in Damascus was equivalent to an attack on Iran itself.
“When they attacked our consulate area, it was like they attacked our territory,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a televised speech.
“The evil regime must be punished, and it will be punished.” It is not yet clear what form any reprisal attack would take.
For Iran to strike Israel directly would risk an even greater escalation in the conflict, and analysts have said Iran does not have the military capability for a significant confrontation.
A possible alternative is an attack via an Iranian proxy like Hezbollah, which frequently carries out smaller strikes on Israel from neighbouring Lebanon.
Yesterday an Iranian official warned Israel’s embassies were “no longer safe”, suggesting a consulate building could be a possible target.
Experts have also suggested Iran could target Israel with a cyber attack.
How might Iran seek to hurt Israel after the general’s killing?
Can US pressure deliver Israel-Hamas truce in Gaza?
Biden pressure on Israel not enough, say dissenting US officials
Thirteen people were killed in the 1 April attack on the Iranian consulate building, including senior Iranian military leaders.
Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack, but is widely considered to have been behind it.
United States and Israeli forces in the region have been put on high alert in the days since.
Mr Biden’s remarks came as he was speaking to journalists at the White House last Wednesday alongside Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
“As I told Prime Minister Netanyahu, our commitment to Israel’s security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad — let me say it again, ironclad,” Mr Biden said.
His comments come one day after Mr Biden, in an interview, called for a ceasefire in Gaza and said he disagreed with Mr Netanyahu’s war strategy.
“I think what he’s doing is a mistake. I don’t agree with his approach,” he said in an interview with Univision that was recorded a week ago.
It also comes nearly a week after a tense phone call between Mr Biden and Mr Netanyahu in the wake of the Israeli killing of seven humanitarian aid workers in Gaza.
Mr Biden has sharpened his rhetoric over Israel’s conduct in the nearly six-month-old war sparked by Hamas’s 7 October attack, and voiced his growing frustration with Mr Netanyahu.
US officials have been attempting to send a message to the Iranians that, despite differences of opinion between Mr Biden and Mr Netanyahu, any attack on Israel will met with an aggressive US response.
In an effort to ease tensions, the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Iraq spoke to their Iranian counterpart this week, according to Axios.
The Ministers were asked to convey a message from Mr Biden’s senior Middle East advisor, Brett McGurk, about the need to de-escalate.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, more than 33,000 people – mostly women and children – have been killed in the Israeli incursion.
The conflict was sparked by Hamas’s killing of more than 1,200 people in Israel and the taking of 253 hostages in its October attack.
Compiled by King Onunwor
Officers of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) have excelled and emerged the best at the just-concluded United Stated Special Programme for Embassy Augmentation Response (SPEAR) team mission at Amman, Jordan.
The training, which commenced on March 10, 2024, and concluded on April 3, 2024, was designed to enhance the team’s skills in responding to various emergencies and tactical situations.
The programme was conducted by the US Navy Seals and covered a wide range of topics, including several tactical drills and assessments, ensuring a well-rounded and thorough learning experience.
Speaking at the end of the training, the Nigeria team lead, Squadron Commander 23PMF, ACP Itse Daniel Amah,.
“Today marks a significant milestone in the journey of our 20 brave Mobile Police officers attached to the US Consulate General, Lagos, who have completed a course offered by the SPEAR on protection of national leadership tactical support team (PNLTST), here in Jordan International Policing Training “, he said
Officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have excelled and emerged the best at the just-concluded US Special Program for Embassy Augmentation Response (SPEAR) team mission at Amman, Jordan.
The training, which commenced on March 10, 2024, and concluded on April 3, 2024, was designed to enhance the team’s skills in responding to various emergencies and tactical situations.
The programme was conducted by the US Navy Seals and covered a wide range of topics, including several tactical drills and assessments, ensuring a well-rounded and thorough learning experience.
“This feat is not just a demonstration of their commitment and hard work but also a reflection of the solid and enduring partnership between Nigeria and the United States.
“On behalf of the IGP Kayode Egbetokun, I want to extend our deepest gratitude to the United States government and, in particular, the US Consulate General, Lagos, for their unwavering support and dedication to this program. The SPEAR initiative is a shining example of how collaboration between nations can enhance peace and security, not just for our respective countries but for the global community.
“The training our officers have received is invaluable and will undoubtedly play a crucial role in their mission to protect diplomatic personnel and ensure the safety of our leaders. As they return to their duties, I am confident that they will apply the skills and knowledge gained here to make a positive impact and continues to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and excellence.”
Also, Force PRO, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said: “the NPF is incredibly proud of these gallant men for their commitment and hard work throughout the training program as they were lauded as the best set to ever be trained.
“This achievement not only demonstrates their dedication to professional growth but also strengthens the capabilities of the Nigeria Police Force towards improved service delivery and sustainable national security and safety.”
“This feat is not just a demonstration of their commitment and hard work but also a reflection of the solid and enduring partnership between Nigeria and the United States.
“On behalf of the IGP Kayode Egbetokun, I want to extend our deepest gratitude to the United States government and, in particular, the US Consulate General, Lagos, for their unwavering support and dedication to this program. The SPEAR initiative is a shining example of how collaboration between nations can enhance peace and security, not just for our respective countries but for the global community.
“The training our officers have received is invaluable and will undoubtedly play a crucial role in their mission to protect diplomatic personnel and ensure the safety of our leaders. As they return to their duties, I am confident that they will apply the skills and knowledge gained here to make a positive impact and continues to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and excellence.”
“This achievement not only demonstrates their dedication to professional growth but also strengthens the capabilities of the Nigeria Police Force towards improved service delivery and sustainable national security and safety”.