Following the allegation of being sympathetic with terrorists groups, the Nigerian Army has shut down the operations of two international humanitarian organisations, Acton Against Hunger and Mercy Corps in North East region of the country.
Specifically, the Army claimed that the two Non-Governmental Organizations were supplying food and drugs to members of the Boko Haram and Islamic State despite repeated warnings.
If indeed the Army has credible information that any organization is sabotaging its operations to fight off insurgents it should take necessary measures to stop it. The battle against insurgents has continued for too long and the earlier the terrorists are truly defeated, the better.
However, the military fiat accusation against the well-known global humanitarian organisations and shutting down of their operations is a matter to worry about given the attitude of the Army to NGOs working in the conflict areas.
The recent action is not the first time the Army will accuse organisations spending their resources and risking the lives of their staff, as they do in other parts of the world, of sabotage instead of acknowledging the life-saving services they are rendering.
Last December, the Army briefly suspended the operations of UNICEF for allegedly training selected persons as spies to support Boko Haram sabotaging counter-terrorism and Counter-insurgency efforts.
The Amnesty International has also been denounced by the Nigerian military for its reports of human rights abuses committed by soldiers. Some obviously sponsored groups have been mounting protests against AI and asking the organization to leave the country.
Mercy Corps, Action Against Hunger and other humanitarian organisations have a history of the support they have been offering persons, especially women and children displaced in crisis locations not only in Nigeria but worldwide.
Since 2012, Mercy Corps according to its response to the military action, has been working in the most marginalized regions of Nigeria to deliver urgent, lifesaving assistance and promote development. It partners with communities to help them recover and rebuild, while addressing the root causes of conflict, insecurity, and inequality. While it has suspended its operations in Borno and Yobe, its work in other parts of the country will continue uninterrupted.
AAH has also maintained that it has been delivering neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian aid to people in Borno by providing basic services to the most vulnerable which the government at both state and federal levels have not provided.
It is very doubtful that the humanitarian organisations are guilty of what they are being accused of by the Army given the record of their years of sacrifices globally but it seems convenient to label them saboteurs to hang them.
But for the crisis in the affected states, they have no reasons to have come to offer the support they are giving. If there is any real major concern with their operations which the Army is not comfortable with, there should be a better way of settling the issue instead of shutting them down and denying the vulnerable persons the aid they need.
How can the Army accuse the AAH of colluding with the terrorists when its convoy was recently ambushed and one of its drivers killed? One of its staff, two drivers and three health workers are still being held by one of the terrorists groups and their fate is unknown. There are other cases of staff of aid agencies that have lost their lives while on duty.
It’s better for the Army to appreciate the need to comply with global best practices even during crisis situation instead of scaring away organisations that mean well and want to help victims like they do in other crisis zones.
