The insurgent war in northeast Nigeria has its crescendo. And it’s getting to the time to declare complete peace in the region. In the business of asymmetric warfare, a lot of strange things happen. This war has taken its toll on both soldiers and the civil populace. When the Military high command gathered commanders in the northeast theatre to jaw jaw about civil military relations all the sector commanders were there to jaw jaw on the way forward. Digging deeper into issues surrounding the war currently in its 14th the year, Force Commander Multinational Joint Task Force MNJTF, Major General Abdul Khalifa Ibrahim speaks on the review of the activities of the Force in the last one year.
Excerpts:
General How was 2022 for you in that office and the 5 countries you are handling, what happened, how was it?
Well, in the Multinational Joint Task Force, we categorized the year 2022 as a fairly successful year. Because at the beginning of the year, we had an operation with Nigeriens. Niger and Nigeria, only 2 countries among the 4 or 5 countries in the coalition. We carried out operations around the Kamadogu Yobe river, which shares a border with Nigeria from around Yobe State and then part of Borno State. Why did we do that operation? We did that operation so that people who were displaced from Malam Fatori could go back to their ancestral homes. And we are able to achieve that, because about a month after in January to February of last year people started coming back to Malam Fatori. Then in Diffa itself. Diffa is one of the prefectures of Niger, for the first time in 10 years they were able to do a national day ceremony in that place. So, you can see if you look at it that yes, for those events to take place then definitely, we are having the upper hand. Now additionally again in places like Kirawa, Kirawa is near Gwoza but we still categorize it as part of the MNJTF areas. Because we have troops from Cameroon who were deployed there. Because of our deployment in Kirawa, over 5000 Nigerians who were displaced mostly from Cameroon and some from Nigeria returned back to their ancestral homes. I was there about a month ago. I think VOA carried out an interview where people heard about that. Then in other places within you know like Baga, like Crosskawa, you know all these areas people have returned to their ancestral homes and more are coming back. Now, because of the result of our operation, farming activity is on the increase, commercial activities are ongoing, schools are opening, hospitals are coming on stream. You know with support from the government and international agencies.
Then another important aspect is the international route from when you leave Chad, you come to Kusori. Kusori in Cameroon, then from Kusori you come to Gamboru Ngala. From Kusori to Gamboru is about 40km or so. Then from Gamboru to Dikwa, which is again maybe another 60, 50, 40km. Then from there to Maiduguri, that road is open. We have seen people come to tell us that they left Maiduguri in the morning, in the evening they are in N’Djamena by road. So, when you look at this, then you now know that yes we are now making progress. The number of attacks have reduce drastically. The number of people who are killed have reduced drastically. However, the cause is completely defeated if we are unable to carry out operations. So, we are still working on that. But when the President says that this people have been degraded. I agree, that is true, that is the fact. So, we’ve keep on carrying out our operations and then we see how it goes by the Grace of God.
How many operations did you carry out within 2022?
Yes, the two major operations, Operation” Shaaran fege” and then Operation “Lake sanity” but other minor national operations are countless. You know like now we have the elections coming. If we are not carrying out a major operation by that time we are going to go out and carry out the operation. So that if anybody has intention of scuttling the election then he has us to contend with.
Now, I am worried about Lake Chad the Tunbos. TC said that the Chief drops 100 million to get machines to clear the Nigerian sector of Lake Chad. Because this people can even play football on the weeds that are covering Lake Chad. What is the situation on the Chadian section of Lake Chad and how much work or collaboration have you have from these countries to get it cleared so that the, what do you call it, we can penetrate into Lake Chad?
Thank you for that very important question, you see the Multinational Joint Task Force is a coalition of 4 countries. Its supposed to be 5 but let me just say 4 countries.
Benin is there but they are observers, they don’t have soldiers who carry guns that they can say go and attack this one, go and do this. They only work in the headquarters. So, the 4 countries; Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad we work together. Most of the Lake Chad the problems are not much. Places where we have problems is the Nigerian side. The Cameroonians, I will show you some videos when we finish, they are able to go on water to carry out their activities they want to carry. But on the Nigerian side we have this hyacinth to send water. On the Nigerien side yes, we have them and they don’t have the Amphibious capability but what they do they are able to drop their soldiers to go for land operation. So, if we are able to clear this water hyacinth, we will come together, Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad and then we patrol the whole area. So, that is the plan we have.
You were in America in the same 2022, I want to believe that whatever you trapped in the US could be of interest not only to you as a General but to the area you are covering. What expertise did you bring from that conference that you went to US and of course in Ghana recently?
Well, you’ve been following my travel that’s very good……. General laughter……….
I went to the United States, I was invited for the African Land Forces Symposium in the United States. They invited military leaders from Africa and then does who are commanding international operations like me and then the commander of the operation in Congo, one General from Brazil, he was also invited. You know. So, we discussed, we looked at new ideas in training. The Americans gave us examples of you know some of the successes they achieved, especially in anti-terrorism they called it anti-terrorism. And then you know we certainly got some very good ideas, and we have a follow-up training that will come with the African Command I think later this year in Stuttgart Germany. So, all this are very good things that happen. Chiefs of Army Staffs from Kenya, from Ghana, from Sierra Leone, so many other countries came. So, we are able to exchange ideas, and this will definitely help the region.
But the Americans are concerned about the lingering war in the Sahel war, Boko Haram, the ISWAP war. Well, if they are, did they promise weapons?
Well, they have a training team in the, I mean they have Center for Coordination Liaison CCL in N’Djamena is made up of officers and soldiers from Britain, from France, from the United States. So, they support us with technical advice and intelligence. But I wish we can have one percent support that they give Ukraine, if we can have it, we can finish this war. We can.
Let me talk about challenges, what are your major challenges in almost 2 years still worrying you and your troops regardless of country?
Well, you know generally, even the Americans need more equipment than they have. They have a lot, but they need more. So, for me I think you need to have even more equipment than we have. Then we have to bring technology into our operation. People are moving in the night, we should have… you know, drones that can stay maybe throughout the night. That will show us infra-red that these are people, because when people are moving its white you see. Definitely you know this people are there. And then you know Boko Haram have been there for quite some time, so they have adapted, they now go underground and hide. So, we can have heat that will show us that there are people. So, I think basically then of course the issue of interoperability. Nigeria is an English-speaking country, Cameroon French, Chad French and Niger French. Chad is even Arabic and French. So, the issue of interoperability sometimes means you have to get somebody who can speak the language. So those are the challenges. By and large we found a way to go round it. The new theatre commander was in N’Djamena Chad, and I took in to see the Chief of Defense Staff. The Chief of Defense Staff was very happy, he said they will continue to collaborate with Nigeria until the issue of terrorism is wiped out in Lake Chad. So, it is a good one.
Can this war be ended this year 2023?
Is difficult for a General to just give a categorical word that I will end this, this, this. We are optimistic.
Why I ask this, because Lake Chad I have not googled anywhere to see where they said we have 200 islands, we have 300. Nobody knows the number of islands there. How can we be fighting a war that we don’t even know the terrain very well? And these boys are hiding there?
I don’t think it is a matter of knowing how many islands or Tunbus there are. The Tunbus are shared among the 4 countries, it is not just Nigeria alone you know. But I can assure you that the strategies we are working on, because it is just for us to enter the place where they are. Like where they have a canoe, they carry their people and this thing. If we are able to enter there and we destroy them. That will be the end. But for me to say there are 20 Islands or 30 Islands no, but the terrain is very difficult. And these people, most of them are Budumas, Marban, Fulanis and Kanuris, they speak the language, they know the terrain and the general area. They will come and pass you. You think they are human beings then they will go and carry guns. So that is it.