On Tuesday, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced an additional $45 million in funding for West African nations, augmenting the ongoing effort to combat instability.
This brings the total funding under the year-old program to almost $300 million.
During a tour of four African democracies, Blinken separately met with President Bola Tinubu and Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara.
The discussions focused on strengthening US-African partnerships across various domains, including trade, climate, infrastructure, health, and security.
Blinken highlighted Ivory Coast as a model for combating coups and extremism, praising their approach of economic investment to build security in northern areas.
He commended Ivory Coast’s leadership in the fight against extremism and violence, pledging increased cooperation, particularly through the training of security forces.
Last year saw significant security challenges in Africa, including a coup in Niger and ongoing terrorist attacks in Nigeria, underscoring the importance of collaborative efforts
