President Barack Obama has announced a new partnership that will offer comprehensive approach to improving security sector governance and capacity to address threats in Africa.
In a statement published on the White House website, he announced the Security Governance Initiative last Saturday.
Obama said Kenya, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Tunisia expressed a desire to strengthen their security sectors and committed to core elements of the initiative.
“Together, the United States and participating African countries will work to improve security sector institutions’ capacity to protect civilians and confront challenges and threats, with integrity and accountability,” Obama said
65 million dollars have been allocated to the initial year of programme and the president said that the amount will increase as the program matures.
He further stated that the programmes will differ in each of the six countries, reflecting specific partner challenges, goals and objectives.
Obama said Africa is a dynamic and diverse region experiencing significant gains in economic growth and development, but faces transnational and domestic insecurity threats.
The threats which the programme will deal with include, Boko Haram, al Shabaab, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, trafficking, piracy which helps fund crime, extremist activities and domestic and regional conflict and others, which remain active on the continent.
