NIGERIA: United States Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Linda Thomas-Greenfield says the White House is monitoring the situation in the Central African Republic

Record ID: 236276

  • Title: NIGERIA: United States Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Linda Thomas-Greenfield says the White House is monitoring the situation in the Central African Republic
  • Date: 5th December 2013
  • Summary: ABUJA, NIGERIA (DECEMBER 05, 2013) (REUTERS) UNITED STATES DELEGATION SITTING DOWN AT A CONFERENCE TABLE NIGERIAN AND AMERICAN FLAGS VARIOUS OF UNITED STATES DELEGATION SEATED VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS SEATED LISTENING AND WRITING (SOUNDBITE) (English) LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD, U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR AFRICAN AFFAIRS, SAYING: "We are very concerned about the situation in CAR. We're monitoring that situation very closely and working very closely with all our partners including the French, the United Nations and regional organisations to address the growing insecurity that is taking place in that country." VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID RODRIGUEZ, AFRICOM COMMANDER GENERAL, SAYING: "The question of numbers now I think that is very very difficult to determine so I don't think anybody has a good estimate of that but I can tell you that all of us are working together and sharing all the information we have so that we can come to the best estimate of that situation and on the request from the French to this point as you know the French first request that through the state department and today there has been no specific request for support in the Central African Republic." VARIOUS OF UNITED STATES OFFICIALS SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (English) LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD, U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR AFRICAN AFFAIRS, SAYING: "We are a multi agency team and the reason we came in this format is because the security problems that exist in Northern Nigeria and in many places in the world are multi faceted and they cant always be dealt with from a security perspective only. So there are social, political, educational, infrastructural concerns, grievances that people have in the north that also have to be dealt with as we deal with the security concerns." WIDE PRESS BRIEFING
  • Embargoed: 20th December 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVABW37HS4MAVENRUMHGA960F8G
  • Story Text: The United States assistant secretary of state for Africa, Linda Thomas-Greenfield arrived in Nigeria on Thursday (December 5) to discuss security issues in the continent.
    The official visit comes in the same week Islamist militants attacked an air force base and army sites in northeastern Nigeria and on-going Muslim-Christian sectarian violence in the Central African Republic.
    Speaking alongside officials from the U.S. department of Defense, the U.S. Africa Command and USAID, Thomas-Greenfield said the conflict in the Central African Republic is concerning.

    "We're monitoring that situation very closely and working very closely with all our partners including the French, the United Nations and regional organisations to address the growing insecurity that is taking place in that country," she said.
    The Central African Republic has slipped into chaos since mainly Muslim rebels seized power in March, leading to tit-for-tat sectarian violence.
    AFRICOM Commander General, David Rodriguez said it was difficult to ascertain the proportion of Seleka militias who are foreign fighters from Chad and Sudan.

    "The question of numbers now I think that is very very difficult to determine so I don't think anybody has a good estimate of that but I can tell you that all of us are working together and sharing all the information we have so that we can come to the best estimate of that situation and on the request from the French to this point as you know the French first request that through the state department and today there has been no specific request for support in the Central African Republic," Rodriguez said.
    Rival militia forces fought fierce battles in Central African Republic's capital on Thursday and the U.N. authorised French military action to halt Muslim-Christian sectarian violence that threatens to escalate into widespread civilian massacres.
    A Reuters witness and an aid worker said at least 105 people were killed in the fighting between former rebels now in charge of the country and a mix of local militia and fighters loyal to ousted president Francois Bozize. Many were civilians.
    Mindful of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, when hundreds of thousands were killed as the world looked on, the United States and other Western powers have urged swift international action to prevent the anarchy in Central African Republic leading to major atrocities against the civilian population.
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