The White House will send 300 military personnel to Cameroon, Africa, to support the fight against the Boko Haram group, according to ABC News. An advance force of about 90 personnel is already on site in Cameroon. President Barack Obama explained the mission of all the troops in a War Powers Act notification letter he sent to Congress. The troops will "conduct airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations in the region," the letter said.
The American military personnel will be armed, but this is specifically to provide to security for themselves and not for military offense purposes. There is no recall date included in the information. The president's letter says that the forces will be in Cameroon until their services are no longer required.
Boko Haram, an extremist organization, has staged attacks in Niger, Chad, Nigeria and Cameroon recently, killing dozens of civilians. The U.S. forces will help existing forces in Africa with reconnaissance, surveillance and intelligence, according to IBTimes.
Training and equipment has been provided to Nigerian forces fighting against Boko Haram by the U.S. government in the past. Amnesty International estimates that Boko Haram has killed 17,000 people since 2009, when they began their militant activities, according to The New York Times.
