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| Barrack Obama |
US officials said on Wednesday, October 14, that a front force of 90 American army personnel has arrived in Cameroon.
The troops will be organising airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations, the official stated, adding they would be armed for their own protection.
Obama said: “These forces are equipped with weapons for the purpose of providing their own force protection and security, and they will remain in Cameroon until their support is no longer needed.”
US troops began deploying on Monday under an agreement with the Cameroon authorities. A total of up to about 300 US service members could be sent.
The officials said the American soldiers would deploy firstly to the city of Garoua in northern Cameroon, not far from the Nigerian border. The force will comprise Predator drones for surveillance, they added.
The White House stated that the move was not in response to any changed assessment of threat in the region.
Cameroon has been fighting Boko Haram insurgents based in the neighbouring Nigeria. The sect has pledged to revenge against Cameroon for supporting the Nigerian military’s mission to crush Boko Haram.
Over the weekend two female suicide bombers suspected to be members of the sect killed nine people near the town of Mora in Cameroon’s Far North region.
The United States has no combat troops in Africa, but has been increasing support to alliance in the region fighting the Boko Haram sect.
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