US ‘Boko Haram donation’ $5m – not $5bn

The United States Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria says the contribution of the US government to the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) on Boko Haram is $5 million – not the $5 billion reported on Tuesday by NAN.

NAN had quoted Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US assistant secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, as saying during a press briefing with the US delegation to the African Union Summit that the US government donated $5 billion to the MNJTF.

But in a press statement to clarify the issued, the public affairs division of the consulate wrote: “Yesterday, Monday, June 15, members of the US government delegation to the African Union Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa briefed reporters on the range of U.S. engagement in Africa.

“It was widely reported that the United States is offering $5 billion to the Multinational Joint Task Force to fight Boko Haram.  The U.S. Embassy wishes to clarify that the amount is $5 million.”

It clarified that at the conference, a journalist from Punch Newspaper had asked to know the assistance that US was offering to the fight against Boko Haram, seeing the renewed commitment of Nigeria and its neighbours to combating the threat.

It quoted Thomas-Greenfield as saying: “We have been working with Nigeria, as well as the other countries in the region, to address their concerns about Boko Haram, because we don’t see this as just a Nigeria problem.

“And with the new government, we are having discussions with them on how we might bolster our support. That said, we have already been working with them on providing information, providing some training and support, and we look to, with this new administration, to see how we might increase the level of support that we are providing to Nigeria.

“At the same time, we have just announced since I have been here at the AU, a $5 million contribution to the Multinational Task Force. This is funding going to the AU. We are also providing some equipment and support, and we had a number of meetings with the countries who are members of the Multinational Task Force to look at other areas that we might support.”

Thomas-Greenfield had also used the opportunity of the conference to answer questions relating to US cooperation with other African countries in fighting terrorism.

On Chad, she said: “We actually have a very strong partnership with the government of Chad. We have been working with the Chadian government and the Chadian military, particularly in their efforts against Boko Haram.

“We have supported them, as well, as they have fought against those who have attacked Mali, and we will continue to engage with this government, because they have been a good partner on fighting terrorism in the region.”

She also spoke about the “amazing” opportunities in Africa, saying hat although the continent remains blighted by stories of war and poverty, it will be unfair to say its people have no hope.

“There is no one who works in Africa today who would say that Africa has no hope,” she said.

“Yes, there are armed groups, there continues to be conflict, there is poverty, but there are also amazing opportunities that are being presented on the continent as we look at what young people across the continent are doing.

“We look at opportunities for business, we look at what Africans are doing in their efforts to find peace, we look at what young women and some older women are doing to promote peace and to look for prosperity and opportunities on the continent. So there is no way that anyone in this room, or elsewhere in Africa, who would say that Africa is hopeless.

“That does not mean there are not problems to solve and resolve, but we are resolved to solve those problems, and are committed to assisting the African Union and member states of the African Union in addressing the problems that we are facing across the continent.”