US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Thursday new humanitarian aid worth $150 million to the Sahel region, which he said would provide life-saving support for refugees and others affected by conflict and food insecurity.
This came during Blinken's visit to Niger, where he said the aid would meet needs in Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Mauritania, adding that the package also includes funding to support refugees from Libya's Sahel region and Niger.
Blinken arrived Thursday in Niger to express Washington's support for the country, which is stable despite being caught in a region of violence and where Russia wields growing influence.
Blinken is the first U.S. secretary of state to visit the former French colony, which is seen as a key military base for Western forces in their campaign to combat jihadists in the Sahel.
Before meeting President Mohammad Bazoum, Blinken began his visit by meeting with former fighters who renounced violence and benefit from a reintegration program, funded by the United States with about $20 million.
On Wednesday, Blinken stressed in Ethiopia that his visit to the two countries is part of President Joe Biden's pledge to be "wholly pro-Africa with Africa," and said "this means that the United States is committed to deep, interactive, and genuine partnerships on the continent."
The Biden administration wants to engage more in Africa to counter China's growing influence there and, more recently, Russian influence.
Niger has become a key ally of France's military effort in West Africa, with a thousand troops deployed, and the United States has built and operated Air Base 201 in the middle of this desert country, which is used to fly drones to attack jihadists and monitor their movements.