U.S. Security Partnership and the Protection of Civilians: The Case of Nigeria and the Nigerian Armed Forces
May 31, 2022
The Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies (CHRHS), released a paper that provides an overview of key facts, data, and analysis of issues related to U.S. security cooperation with the Government of Nigeria in the context of ongoing civilian protection, civilian harm, and humanitarian concerns.
This issue brief is a collaboration between Brown University’s Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies (CHRHS), the Security Assistance Monitor (SAM) at the Center for International Policy, and InterAction. It is the second in a series of factsheets examining protection of civilian issues in geographies where the U.S. is a significant external security partner, following a first report published in December 2021 on Ethiopia. The series aims to generate awareness of U.S. policies and practices on security cooperation and document their effectiveness in promoting civilian protection. Moreover, it is intended to help inform NGO advocacy and policy engagement strategies seeking to strengthen the protection of civilians, enhance humanitarian access, and minimize civilian suffering in contexts of U.S. security partnerships. In examining political and security developments in Nigeria, this paper focuses mainly on the policies and practices of the Nigerian Armed Forces (NAF), the U.S. relationship with this actor, and leverage the U.S. may exert through this relationship to address civilian harm concerns in country.
The collaborators on this project have endeavored to provide data-driven and fact-based information on the nature of U.S. security cooperation with Nigeria and current trends in civilian harm in the country. The information presented here does not necessarily represent the institutional views of the contributing organizations.