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Tag: MNJTF

  • Buhari rallies supports for MNJTF, Boko Haram victims

    Buhari rallies supports for MNJTF, Boko Haram victims

    President Muhammadu Buhari has called for assistance from Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) members, development partners and international community in the fight against terrorism.

    He urged them to provide necessary assistance for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) set up by Nigeria and other countries in the Lake Chad region, to tackle  Boko Haram and other terrorists groups in the region.

    Apart from assisting security personnel, Buhari also urged the international community to help victims and countries affected by Boko Haram insurgence.

    A statement issued by the spokesperson, Nigerian Mission to the United Nations, Mr. Akinremi Bolaji, said the President made the request during the 17th Summit of NAM held at the Island of Margarita, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

    Buhari emphasized the need to provide assistance to member countries affected by terror groups’ activities, especially the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees.

    He said the twin scourge of terrorism and violent extremism had continued to wreak havoc in Nigeria and countries around Lake Chad Basin.

    He insisted that thousands of people have been killed and maimed in addition to the millions displaced from their homes.

    He said, “It is essential that the Non-Aligned Movement finds a role for itself in addressing these challenges, so as to retain its relevance in the world of today and in the future.

    “In addressing the challenge of resource mobilization and flows for sustainable development of our countries.

    “Our collective solidarity is required now more than ever before, to uphold the Bandung Principles.

    “I need not stress that cooperation among nations is an essential condition for global peace, security and a just world economic order that is anchored on democratic values.”

  • Multinational troops recapture Nigerian town from Boko Haram

    A multinational task force battling Boko Haram said on Thursday it had recaptured the only town in Borno State that was still held by the terror group.

    Boko Haram, which was formed in Borno, has waged an insurgency since 2009 to carve out a state based on sharia (Islamic law) in the northeast Nigeria, Reuters says.

    More than 15,000 people have been killed and some 2.4 million displaced.

    Damasak, captured by Boko Haram in October 2014, was part of an area around the size of Belgium that the jihadist group controlled in northeast Nigeria by the end of 2009.

    Its attacks have spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, which prompted those nations to combine troops to form the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF).

    MNJTF spokesman, Col. Mohammad Dole, said troops cleared militants from Dutse, a village in Niger, before moving to the Nigerian border town Damasak around 10:00am (0900 GMT).

    “In continuation with clearance operation of towns and villages, troops of Sector 4 in Diffa (Niger) have successfully cleared Dutse village, captured and occupied Damasak town,” he said.

    “The forces are coordinating to stabilise the immediate environs,” he added.

     

  • UN Security Council condemn Dalori attack

    The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the horrific terrorist attacks on 30 January, 2016 attributed to Boko Haram in Dalori village in north eastern Nigeria.

    The insurgents’ inhuman attack resulted in a large number of deaths and casualties.

    The members of the Security Council expressed their deep condolences and sympathy to the families and friends of those killed and injured by these heinous acts, as well as to the people and the Government of Nigeria.

    The members of the Security Council commended the efforts of the region, including through the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), to effectively combat Boko Haram and encourage further progress in this regard.

    The Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.

    The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice.

    They stressed that those responsible for these terrorist attacks should be held accountable, and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard.

    The members of the Security Council reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever and whenever, and by whomsoever committed.

    They reaffirmed the need for all States to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other obligations under international law, including international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.

  • Boko Haram: Funding short fall delays MNJTF take off

    Funding for a multinational force to combat Boko Haram insurgency in West and Central Africa remains well short of its target, an African Union official said Tuesday.

    So far donors, including Nigeria, Switzerland and France, have pledged about $250 million to fund the 8,700-strong regional force, the African Union’s Peace and Security Council said after a meeting in Addis Ababa to discuss funding.

    The talks followed the militia’s latest attack, which killed at least 65 people in northeast Nigeria on Saturday, Reuters reported.

    The $250 million includes both previous pledges and those made during Monday’s conference, said Orlando Bama, communications officer for the African Union’s Peace and Security Council. He did not give further details.

    That covers just over a third of the $700 million budget announced for the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) last year.

    The task force – to be made up of regional African militaries -has yet to mobilise. Instead, national armies are tackling Boko Haram individually, but they often cannot follow the insurgents across the region’s long, porous borders.

    The region threatened by Boko Haram is one of the poorest in the world, and all the countries in the task force, barring Benin, are oil producers whose budgets have been battered by falling prices.

    Boko Haram has killed thousands of people and driven more than two million people from their homes during its six-year insurgency.

     

  • Boko Haram: Nigeria to redeem $100m pledge to MNJTF

    Boko Haram: Nigeria to redeem $100m pledge to MNJTF

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday said Nigeria will fully redeem its pledge of $100million to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to enhance its operations against Boko Haram.

    The President spoke at a high-level meeting of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

    He said that having already released $21million to the task force in June last year, Nigeria will remit the balance of $79million very soon.

    Buhari, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, also assured the Council that Boko Haram’s capacity to conduct conventional attacks has been “heavily degraded.”

    He said: “As at now, there is no single Nigerian territory under the control of the insurgents other than their hideouts in Sambisa Forest.

    “Displaced persons (IDPs) are now being resettled in their respective homes.

    “This feat totally accords with our promise to Nigerians to rid the country of terrorism and extremism within few months of our assumption of office.

    “Our efforts are already yielding dividends and we will not relent until the terrorist groups are totally decimated and wiped out of our country and sub-region.”

    The President also reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to support measures to end the conflicts in Burundi and South Sudan, including the proposed deployment of troops by the AU to Burundi.

    He added: “Let me reiterate Nigeria’s deep commitment to ensuring durable peace, stability and security on our continent.

    “Without peace, there will be no development. It is therefore vital for all of us to join hands in taking appropriate measures to end the conflicts and bring a stop to the incalculable damage being inflicted on innocent citizens in the affected countries.”

     

  • Toyota donates Hilux trucks to military

    Toyota Nigeria Limited has donated five Hilux trucks to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in Maiduguri, Borno State, to aid the ongoing counter insurgency campaign in the Northeast.

    The Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin, who received the trucks, expressed gratitude to the management and staff of Toyota.

    A statement issued on Friday by the Acting Director of Defence Information, Col. Rabe Abubakar, quoted Gen. Olonisaki as describing the company’s gesture as a show of public support and approval for MNJTF actions.

    “This donation is a laudable one and very timely, too. This shows that the fight against Boko Haram insurgency will come to an effective end going by the presidential directive.

    “The provision of adequate security, not only in the northeast, but in all corners of the country, is a task that must be done and done quickly too,” Olonisakin was quoted as saying after receiving the trucks.

    The CDS, who was represented at the occasion by Air Vice Marshal Olutayo Oguntoyinbo , promised that the Hilux vans would be used to ensure success of the operation against all forms of guerrilla movements and cross-border crimes around the Lake Chad Basin.

    While charging soldiers to make maximum use of the vehicles, he urged other companies and corporate organizations in Nigeria and countries around the Lake Chad Basin to emulate Toyota’s noble gesture.

    He called on Nigerians to come forward and support the military in the ongoing campaign against terror.

     

  • How insurgency affect international peace

    How insurgency affect international peace

    • The Security Council recalls its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security

    The Security Council has reaffirmed Member States’ determination to continue to do all they can to resolve conflict and to deny terrorist groups the ability to put down roots and establish safe havens to address better the growing threat posed by terrorism.

    The Council stresses that terrorism can only be defeated by a sustained and comprehensive approach involving the active participation and collaboration of all States and international, regional and sub-regional organizations to counter the terrorist threat.

    According to the council, terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whosoever committed.

    Thus, the council expresses its concern at the continued threat posed to international peace and security by Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad (also known as “Boko Haram” and hereinafter referred to as such) and all other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with A1-Qaida, reaffirms its resolve to address all aspects of that threat, and reaffirms that terrorism, including the actions of the Boko Haram terrorist group, cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, or civilization.

    The Security Council reiterates its strong condemnation of all the terrorist attacks, abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law by Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin region.

    The council also recognized that women and girls are particularly targeted by Boko Haram, expresses its deep sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims as well as to the peoples and Governments of Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured.

    The Security Council recalls that those responsible for abuses and violations of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law must be held accountable and brought to justice.

    The Security Council takes note of the Communiques of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) of 25 November, 2014 on the threat posed by Boko Haram and the efforts of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) Member States (Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria) and Benin to combat Boko Haram.

    It further takes note of the Letter sent by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) to the United Nations Secretary-General on 6 March 2015, forwarding the Communiques adopted by the AUPSC on 29 January and 3 March 2015, as well as the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) Strategic Concept of Operations (CONOPS) to fight against Boko Haram.

    The Council, while acknowledging the progress made on the ground following joint regional military efforts in recent months, condemns strongly the continued deadly attacks perpetrated by the Boko Haram terrorist group, particularly against civilians and encourages increased regional cooperation.

    The Security Council encourages all actors involved in the response to support recovery programmes and the provision of the necessary protection measures for civilians, and to pay particular attention to the release and reintegration of children abducted by Boko Haram or formerly associated with this terrorist group.

    It recalls that Boko Haram has been designated as associated with Al-Qaida by the Committee established, pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011) and in this regard, expresses its readiness to consider listing individuals, groups, undertakings and entities providing support to Boko Haram, including those who are financing, arming, planning or recruiting for Boko Haram and all other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with Al-Qaida through information and communications technologies including the Internet and social media or through any other means.

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  • Boko Haram: Buhari to offset pledge to MNJTF

    Boko Haram: Buhari to offset pledge to MNJTF

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday promised to pay up the $100 million pledged by Nigeria to boost the Multi-National Joint Task Force’s (MNJTF) efforts in the battle against Boko Haram.

    He made the promise during the Extra-Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and Benin at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

    The meeting, which started at 10:50am was attended by Presidents of Niger Republic, Mahamadou Issoufou, Chad’s Idriss Deby Itno, Boni Yayi of Benin Republic, and Nigeria’s Muhammadu Buhari.

    Camerounian President, Paul Biya, was represented by the country Minister of Defence at the meeting.

    He said: “Permit me, at this junction, to recall that Nigeria has already pledged the sum of $100 million for the smooth take off of the MNJTF. I hereby reassure you that my government will keep faith with this promise.”

    Harping on the need to strengthen cross border patrol and intelligence sharing, he said that efforts must be targeted at limiting the insurgents’ capacity to access funds and weapons

    He also kicked against six months duration for change of the command and control structure of the MNJTF.

    He said: “While I agree that this is a joint operation with shared responsibilities, I am, however, of the opinion that military operations that are subjected to a rapid turnover of command and control structures, six months duration, as it is being proposed in the documents before us, do not augur well for effectiveness and efficiency.

    “Such a process will undermine, even if it not intended, the military capacity to sustain the push against the insurgents, who also have the uncanny ability to adapt and rejig their operational strategies.”

    He urged the leaders to allow Nigeria control the force throughout the period of the war against Boko Haram.

    Buhari said: “I am inclined, on account of the above, to suggest for your excellences consideration that Nigeria retains the position of the Force Commander of the MNJTF for the period of the war effort.

    “This command will be to the effectiveness of military strategy, since Nigeria will be providing the bulk of the troops and the main theatre of the war is on Nigerian soil.”

    He spoke further: “Our meeting today is premised on common resolve and commitment of member states of Lake Chad Basin Commission and Benin to maintain the momentum in degrading the capacity of the insurgents until they are completely defeated.

    “It is also going out with urgency to mitigate the suffering which has been imposed on our civilian population by the nefarious activities of the insurgents and the terrorists.

    “Our meeting today provides us an excellent opportunity to finalize the instruments of the operations of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in order to give life to our joint military campaign to decisively defeat the insurgents.

    “You will recall in my inaugural address on 29th May 2015, I affirmed that I will consult regularly with heads of government of our immediate neighborhood and I have within four days of my assumption of duty as President embarked on a thank you visits to the Presidents of Niger and Chad. This important assignment was however interrupted because I had to honor the invitation extended to me by the G-7 member states to attend their meeting in Germany.”

    The President said that he intends to continue his thank you visits to the remaining Lake Chad Basin Commission member states very shortly.

  • Troops kill 22 in encounters with Boko Haram

    Troops kill 22 in encounters with Boko Haram

    •Security agencies, military probe ‘abduction of 100’

    The Defence Headquarters said yesterday that soldiers killed 22 insurgents in encounters with Boko Haram in Buduram and Doron Baga in Borno State.

    The insurgents had allegedly disguised as women in hijab to infiltrate the two communities.

    The DHQ in an update on the ongoing counter-insurgency measures in the North-East said: “Troops of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in a dawn raid operation yesterday cleared a terrorists camp in Buduram, North of Doron Baga, where terrorists were massing up and reorganizing to carry out a reprisal attack after being routed in Doron Baga in a previous encounter last Sunday.

    “17 terrorists died in the raid operation while some who escaped into neighbouring islands in the Lake Chad Peninsula are still being pursued.

    “Meanwhile, calm has been restored in Doron Baga after the Sunday attack by terrorists who infiltrated the community with some of them disguising as women in hijab.

    “Five of the terrorists died in the counter offensive to defend Doron Baga by troops of the MNJTF.

    “Many of the inhabitants of the community who had fled into nearby bushes for safety are now returning.” The claims could not be independently confirmed.

    The Nation however gathered that security agencies and the military have launched an investigation into the reported abduction of 100 young men from Hadaija community in Doron Baga, Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State by Boko Haram.

    A reliable source    said: “The alleged abduction of the young men appears to be a hoax because neither the community nor relatives of these young men have got in touch.

    “But we are not taking things for granted, we are investigating  the allegation no matter how exaggerated it might be.”

     

  • Inside Boko Haram camp, by escapees

    Inside Boko Haram camp, by escapees

    •We killed 18 insurgents, says DHQ

    Two women who escaped from the captivity of Boko Haram insurgents have relived their horrendous experience.

    Liatu and Janet told the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) monitored in Kaduna how they escaped from the insurgents after spending several days with them.

    Liatu, 23, who claimed to have spent 12 days with her abductors inside the Sambisa forest, said she was captured by the insurgents on her way to her village. The insurgents, according to her, barricaded the road near the Bama Bridge, killing some people and abducting others.

    One of the men who was also abducted, she said, suggested that they should escape. “One man suggested that we run away because one can only die once. We took a golf car and ran away, the Boko Haram people chased us on a motorbike, shooting at us and killed those who sat at the back. When we were approaching Bama, they retreated and went back,” Liatu said.

    Liatu, a Christian, claimed that the Boko Haram members had earlier asked her to accept Islam as a religion. She watched while they slaughtered about 50 people.

    Also sharing her experience with the BBC, Janet claimed that she spent about three months with the insurgents who tried to conscript her after severally violating her. They took her to Gwoza town in the state where they killed people.

    Liatu claimed that the insurgents gave her a knife and instructed her to slaughter one of the five people, a task she said she could not perform, adding that the wife of the Boko Haram leader later carried out the task on her behalf.

    Janet said she has continued to live with the nightmare, and the gory details of what transpired when the victims were killed, adding that most of the Boko Haram members were known faces to her because they were neighbours.

    She claimed that she escaped from her captors after feigning illness and was allowed to seek medical attention. “I feigned illness for two weeks; they said I had AIDS and should be taken to their hospital for test. I told them it was stomach pain. That was how I escaped.

    “The Boko Haram men hide in caves and mountains. They sight jets and other aircraft. I felt happy whenever I saw soldiers, but they could not locate the Boko Haram who were mostly, along the Liman Kara and Gwoza axis.

    “They took many of us into the bush. If they searched and found ID card, they will say they had warned that people should not work for the government, and they will kill the person. For those Konduga girls, they will select those who perm their hair and kill them.”

    Also yesterday, the Defence Headquarters said government troops at the weekend, killed 18 suspected Boko Haram insurgents in Bama and Ngurosoye in Borno State.

    A statement by the Director Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, said the insurgents were dislodged while attempting to attack some settlements.

    According to the DHQ, 16 AK 47 rifles, five pick up vans and seven Gulf cars belonging to the insurgents were destroyed.

    The statement however said the attack at Bama market in which about 20 persons were reported killed had not been verified, adding that 75 villagers were screened and released in the course of cordon and search in the adjoining communities.

    The statement added: “In a related development, a total of 16 AK47 rifles were recovered in the course of cordon and search of communities, while mop up operations are ongoing on Mandara mountains and Haraza hills.

    “Troops eventually overran camps in the outskirts of Gombole, Mele, Kecheri, Dufrfada, Yuwe, and others around Mandara mountains and Sambisa forests after stiff resistance. Many terrorists died in the encounter. A soldier lost his life and five others were wounded.

    “The Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) has also stepped up patrols of the banks of Lake Chad as well as surrounding communities in addition to air surveillance and patrols designed to smoke out the remnants of the terrorists.

    “The air raids on some camps sited on Islands have also recorded successes in dislodging the terrorists located there.

    “Cordon and search for the terrorists have been focused on thorough screening of the villagers in surrounding communities. Many terrorists have been identified and subsequently apprehended by troops in the process.

    “Meanwhile, troops morale and fighting spirit have remained noticeably high while some of the terrorists camps falling to the forces in the ongoing counter terrorists campaign have been found deserted.

    “Food items earlier seized by the terrorists from the villagers are often found stockpiled along with other items such as electronics and power generators. The camps were swiftly razed by the troops”.