The Federal Government is in the process of reaching a tripartite diplomatic/defence collaboration with France and Cameroun in containing the insurgency of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram.
The proposal is already being worked on, The Nation gathered yesterday in Abuja.
The development was triggered by the latest attacks on military formations by Boko Haram from new bases in Cameroun having been largely driven out of Nigeria in the wake of the military onslaught.
The diplomatic collaboration is expected to be managed in a way that Cameroun will not be hurt by the effects of the onslaught against Boko Haram in its territory.
Sources also said that the Federal Government might deploy drones against the insurgents next year following intelligence reports that the insurgents have created new bases and platforms in Cameroon.
“They relocated in spite of the fact that in October, the Camerounian gendarmes killed more than 180 Boko Haram members,” a military source said.
“They find it difficult to cope again in the country because more than 500 coordination bases/cells of the sect had been destroyed in Borno and Yobe states.
“So, we have a situation in which they now come from Cameroun to lay ambush on villages and major roads to kill innocent citizens.”
Sources said that government has therefore resolved to collaborate with France and Cameroun on how to address the security challenges posed by the insurgents along the Cameroonian borders.
It was gathered that the issue featured in the discussion between President Goodluck Jonathan and French officials during his recent trip to Paris.
With him on the trip was the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki.
Nigeria believes it has a lot to benefit from the French operation in Mali against terrorists and expects that the Mali experiment will be extended to the Camerounian borders with Nigeria.
Cameroun, sources said, has been a bit circumspect in giving its support because it does not want to be fully drawn into the Boko Haram insurgency to avert any consequence on its security.
But one of the sources said that in a sub-region like ours, a threat to one country is a threat to another and therefore it will be in the interest of Yaounde to co-operate with Abuja in checking the Boko Haram threat.
A Multinational Task Force is said to be already in place but the target is the ‘final phase’ of the campaign against the insurgents.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government may consider the use of drones along the borders with Cameroun to check the insurgents.
This is part of anti-insurgency plans in 2014 in order to make the North-East safer.
Sources said the use of drones comes with less casualties and maximum impact because it would help the military in pre-emptive coordination.
“I think from next year, the Federal Government may deploy in drones. The truth is that the battle is almost won against insurgency in the North-East except for the shift of Boko Haram base to Cameroun.
“The drones have worked well in Niger Republic and we may adopt same with the ongoing ground and air strikes.”
For the second time in two months, Boko Haram members, at dawn on Friday, invaded and shelled Kuru Mohammed Barracks in Bama, Borno State with rockets.
The sect had in October launched another deadly attack at a military checkpoint close to the Nigerian border with Cameroun, leading to the killing four security operatives.
The death toll of the latest attack was unclear as at press time but the Defence Headquarters claimed that it was still taking stock.
Ground and air troops have already been deployed in Bama to repel the insurgents.
No comments:
Post a Comment