Africa: Under Secretary Sewall Travels to Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon

Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Sarah Sewall will travel to Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon October 25 - November 3, 2016. The trip will focus on a range of issues related to civilian security, with an emphasis on the fight against Boko Haram, countering violent extremism more broadly, and the dire humanitarian and stabilization needs in the Lake Chad Basin region.

The Under Secretary will travel to Nigeria to meet with representatives from government, civil society, and the international community to raise urgent humanitarian and stabilization challenges, along with the need for a political resolution to the ongoing crisis in the Niger Delta region. She will also meet with women and girls who had been captured by Boko Haram to learn about their unique challenges returning and reintegrating into society. In addition, the Under Secretary will meet with inter-faith and civil society leaders about their role in countering corruption, refuting violent ideologies, and reducing religious and communal tensions.

The Under Secretary will also travel to Chad to meet representatives from government, civil society and the United Nations to discuss Boko Haram, associated humanitarian challenges, and countering violent extremism more broadly.

Under Secretary Sewall will then travel to Cameroon. In Yaoundé, she will meet with government officials, U.N. agencies, and civil society groups to discuss challenges posed by Boko Haram, strategies for addressing drivers of violent extremism, and the humanitarian crisis.

For further information, please contact Vivek Chilukuri at ChilukuriVR@state.gov and follow Under Secretary Sewall on Twitter @CivSecatState.