Trump lifts ban on BIR training program, says Yaoundé can now receive US military assistance ⁰

The decision was made before the US presidential election; Donald Trump authorized the United States military to train officers from six so far blacklisted African states.

Just days before the US presidential election, the Trump administration said six African nations including Cameroon previously accused of recruiting children into their armies could now receive US military assistance. 

Former U.S. President Barack Obama had ordered 300 members of the armed forces to Cameroon in 2015 to counter the militant Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram.

The mission was part of a broader regional effort to stop the spread of Boko Haram and other violent extremist organizations in West Africa.”

The US advanced team reportedly conducted airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations in the Far North region.

However, the Trump administration blacklisted Cameroon and five other countries for recruiting children into their military. Critics now say the decision to lift the ban on Cameroon goes a long way to demonstrate how the Trump admin has been consistently inconsistent in its dealing with dictators like Biya.

By Chi Prudence Asong