Pentagon notifies U.S. Congress of $593 mln aircraft sale to Nigeria

Date:

WASHINGTON, Aug 28 – The Pentagon notified the U.S. Congress on Monday of the sale to Nigeria of 12 Super Tucano A-29 planes and weapons worth $593 million, which the West African country wants for its fight against the militant group Boko Haram.

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The move was announced by the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The Super Tucano A-29, an agile, propeller-driven plane with reconnaissance and surveillance as well as attack capabilities, is made by Brazil’s Embraer

Nigeria has been seeking permission from the U.S. government to buy A-29s since 2015; however, the Obama administration had put the sale on hold due to concerns about the country’s human rights record.

In February, U.S. President Donald Trump signaled his support for the sale during a phone call with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. By April, the deal seemed to be moving forward, as unnamed U.S. officials told The Associated Press that Congress would be notified of the sale over the coming weeks.The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress on Aug. 2.

A U.S. government official, who was not authorized to speak on the record, called the A-29 sale just one element of the United States’ efforts to fight terrorism and protect civilians in Nigeria and other areas in West Africa.

“These aircraft offer improved targeting capabilities, allowing Nigeria to more effectively lead the fight against Boko Haram and the ISIS West Africa branch, while also potentially reducing risks of collateral damage and civilian casualties,” the source said, using an acronym for the Islamic State group.

“The training included in this comprehensive package would help build the skills and procedures to effectively and responsibly operate the aircraft in accordance with international human rights law and the law of armed conflict,” the government official added.

Naija247news
Naija247newshttps://www.naija247news.com/
Naija247news is an investigative news platform that tracks news on Nigerian Economy, Business, Politics, Financial and Africa and Global Economy.

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