Boko Haram: Why The World Needs to Help Nigeria and Her Neighbours Now
Tukur Buratai
Nwachukwu Okafor
President Buhari, last month, while on a visit to the President of Benin Republic, made a statement, that he hoped that Boko Haram the insurgent group fighting the Nigerian Army to establish a caliphate in North Eastern Nigeria, will be defeated by the end of the year. Again, recently after swearing in a crop of newly appointed military chiefs, the President asked them to defeat Boko Haram in three months.
I like that President Buhari is an optimist. I also like the fact that Nigeria is being led by a seasoned General. One who has been to the best war colleges and seen action in a conventional battles. Nigeria’s Commander-in-Chief, is eminently qualified to make military projections, he also knows the officers that he recently appointed. That might have informed his confidence. My honest prayer is that Mr. President’s projections and charge to his officers will produce the required results.
I am no military strategist. I am also not a retired army officer. My closest association with military will be my interest in military strategy and history, yet I know that, the war that with Boko Haram is not a conventional war, it is an insurgency and history has shown that unless where the strategy is right, insurgencies last for a long time. There is therefore an urgent need for a robust and concerted effort by the international community to assist Nigeria and her neighbors in their effort to crush these atrocious criminals.
Insurgency: Causes and AnalysisArt Ryan L. Seachon in his article, Insurgencies in history: A blueprint for future strategy defined insurgency as an “organised movement aimed at the overthrow of a constituted government through the use of subversion and armed conflict” He further amplified it as “a form of modern warfare” stating that,” differences in ideology and faith, problems of underdevelopment and poverty, and social dissatisfaction are some of the main issues that have given rise to insurrections in many countries.
Historically the longest insurgency is the one being waged by the Communist Party of the Philippines under the auspices of the New People’s Army (NPA) and sister groups. This insurgency dates back to the early 19th-20th centuries and continued to the 1950s and later metamorphosed into what is today known as the New People’s Army (NPA). Over the years efforts by the army to win this war through conventional means have been met with limited success.
One cannot fail to recall the engagement of US forces in the Vietnam War from 1st November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on April 30. 1975, writing about that war, Jennifer Rosenberg a 20th century history expert stated as follows,
“U.S. troops fought a jungle war, mostly against the well-supplied Viet Cong. The Viet Cong would attack in ambushes, set up booby traps, and escape through a complex network of underground tunnels. For U.S. forces, even just finding their enemy proved difficult. Since Viet Cong hid in the dense brush, U.S. forces would drop Agent Orange or napalm bombs which cleared an area by causing the leaves to drop off or to burn away. In every village, U.S. troops had difficulty determining which, if any, villagers were the enemy since even women and children could build booby traps or help house and feed the Viet Cong. U.S. soldiers commonly became frustrated with the fighting conditions in Vietnam. Many suffered from low morale, became angry, and some used drugs”.
The above analysis by Rosenberg sounds very familiar. It would appear that Ms. Rosenberg was describing the challenges of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, or Bama, or Gamboru Ngala or even Sambisa forest in North Eastern Nigeria. Such apt similarities in insurgent wars show why conventional methods of addressing them have failed woefully over the centuries. The United States Army left Vietnam without achieving their objectives. Till date Vietnam is unified under a communist government.
Protagonists of conventional wars ruled world armies for centuries, unfortunately the events of 9/11 which resulted in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which has defied conventional means has forced a reassessment of methodologies used in the fight against insurgencies.
John Nagl author of Knife Fights: A Memoir of Modern War in Theory and Practice, and a West Point graduate and Professor with a PHD on counter insurgency from Oxford has this to say about the US war in Iraq and Afghanistan,
“When theU.S. Military found itself bogged down in Iraq and Afghanistan in the years after 9/11, it was forced to rediscover the tenets of counterinsurgency—a strategic approach to war-fighting that had been all but forgotten following the unpleasant ending of the conflict in Vietnam. That transformation was led in large part by a small cadre of officers who had studied guerrilla warfare at a time—the 1990s—when few thought this arcane discipline had any relevance for future conflict”. He further stated that, “In a counterinsurgency, the soldiers would discover, the chief challenge was not to kill but rather to identify an enemy that often hid in plain sight”
Professor Nagl and his group who included General David Petraeus, who had written his Princeton Ph.D. thesis on the Vietnam War are known as the “COINdinista, a term used to describe the cadre of officers within the US Army who advocated for and developed a counter Insurgency Doctrine with, “ emphasis on population protection and establishment of legitimate and effective governance structure”. This group is ideologically opposed to the group who views military operations as one way traffic of elimination of the enemy and declaring victory. Unfortunately modern conflicts have defied this approach and are forcing armies of the world to view counter insurgency from the prism of the COINdinistas.
Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria, No Longer a Local Affair Since its founding in Nigeria, in 2002, Boko Haram has defied all conventional military approaches. Nigeria has failed as it were to defeat a supposed rag tag army and has now moved its military headquarters to Maiduguri in Northern Nigeria, so as to have commanders near the front lines. What started as an “orthodox”, “ultraconservative religious sect, which abhors foreign education, soon became a full blown insurgency that is now operating in Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroun and is threatening West African regional stability.
This turn of events started after the fall of Mummer Kaddafi of Libya. Remnants of Gaddafi’s army moved down south and found bases at the northern boarders of Nigeria. Boko Haram suddenly began to operate with armored carriers and Toyota hilux trucks and superior arms and ammunition. They soon started taking territories within Nigeria and announced the birth of a caliphate. A demoralised Nigerian army bogged down by corruption of its top commanders buckled under incessant attacks. Within a couple of months Boko Haram started attacking targets inside Niger, Chad and Cameroun. What started as a Nigerian problem has now become a big headache for all the leaders of countries that share a boarder with Nigeria.
Boko Haram recently pledged allegiance to the so called Islamic State ISIS. Very recently a high level ISIS operator Ahmad al-Assir who had spent two years on the run after clashing with the Lebanese army was arrested at the Beirut International Airport on his way to Nigeria. It is therefore no longer in doubt as to where and how help and logistics have been getting to Boko Haram Commanders.
This turn of events should concern everyone who desires peace in the West African sub region and around the world. The challenge being faced by the heads of governments especially Nigeria is no longer a local problem and should concern the international community. It is unconscionable for world powers to sit back why African countries are being bogged down by a challenge which requires immediate assistance and unconventional ways to tackle.
The United States of America has developed practical methods of combating insurgency which so far has led to some measured success in Iraq and Afghanistan. President Obama should immediately come to the aid of the West African sub region and advance workable solutions with other world leaders to end this insurgency. President Buhari has vowed to defeat Boko Haram but needs the help of the international community to do so.
Amplifying the Coindinista: Strategy for Winning this War and Rebuilding Affected AreasSuccessive governments in the West African sub region have neglected the masses and created a massive population of poor people whom the insurgents are promising a better life in their Eldorado kingdom.
Unconfirmed security reports show that Boko haram fighters are paid about a $1000.00 a month. In a region where people survive on a less than $1.00 a day, such payments are a huge inducement for people to join the insurgents. Very worrisome is news that some of the fighters are college graduates and even people who are non-Muslims. Although it is very convenient to blame religion as one of the causes of the Boko Haram insurgency, the atrocities of this sect has shown beyond all reasonable doubts that, they are criminals masquerading as religious fanatics, for there is nothing in their methods that resembles the Moslem faith.
Neglect of our poor and their inability to live to their full potentials in the midst of plenty has provided a recruitment ground for this monster that has become an albatross in the West African sub region. The assertion by Art Ryan above that, underdevelopment, poverty, and social dissatisfaction as some of the main issues that have given rise to insurrections in many countries are so true of this region.
Insurgency is an octopus. It is no conventional war. The enemy is not known. The biggest challenge of any military is how to achieve a sustainable peaceful solution with minimal casualty. This objective is very difficult to achieve, however, as Professor Nagl has shown, counter insurgency approach has proven to be better than conventional warfare. These methods should include, effective governance structures, Psychological warfare, aggressive rebuilding of civilian infrastructures and Amnesty.
Effective Governance StructureThe regional co-operation put in Place by President Buhari, should urgently engage village heads and community leaders in the sub region. The traditional institutions should be engaged in governance. This measure should start from bottom up. The Government, have been using a top bottom approach against Boko Haram, while Boko Haram has been doing the opposite. In counter-insurgency bottom to top approach in governance is the most effective way. The military should immediately use the local authorities at the village head level and build confidence from bottom up.
This insurgency has destroyed towns market, farm lands, schools, Hospitals, roads etc. International aid is needed to start immediate reconstruction of infrastructures and deployment of forces to protect them. The only way to secure a lasting peace is by assuring the populace of a long term commitment to reconstruction and security.
It should be noted that counterinsurgency, is a very expensive venture. The United States have spent twice the entire budget of the Afghan government in one year. The international community and regional governments of West Africa should therefore be prepared to meaningfully engage in winning this war. They should be able to match the adversaries and do better. The international community can no longer fold their hands and watch Africa spend our scarce resources on a war that has international dimensions.
Psychological Warfare Boko Haram has been effective in wearing a religious cloak on its criminal activities. There should be a concerted effort at psychological orientation of the citizens. Religious leaders should also be engaged to inculcate in people the true meaning and worship of Allah, the Supreme God.
Amnesty The regional governments should immediately declare an amnesty, welcome back and de-program any fighters who have been involved with Boko Haram. This system has been employed effectively in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria and can be used again. The lessons learnt from the Amnesty declared in the Niger Delta can be deployed to achieve lasting peace among the countries that are affected by this insurgency. Any foreign fighters arrested should be transported to The Hague or at any special courts established for this purpose, where they will be subjected to international rules. Again this is where the assistance of the international community is needed. Involvement of international agencies will ensure that suspected insurgents go through a process of adjudication that guarantees their rights to a fair trial under international law.
Rapid Intervention Force One core tenet of the counter-insurgency is the development of a quick intervention force. The regional force fighting Boko Haram, should develop elite and very lean forces which can deploy at the shortest notice and be ready to repeal attacks when the occur. Insurgents are not regular armies. They thrive on the surprise element, therefore the military should also have units that can move with agility and speed and when the chance arrives decisively crush the enemy. Intelligence gathering will go a long way in locating and alienating the enemy. There should be zero abuse of captured insurgents and terrorists as abuse hardens the hearts and minds of frontline terrorists and insurgents.
Insurgent wars from historical records are a long engagements; victory will come in short increments. The new President of Nigeria has shown leadership in the region. He is shown a strong commitment to combat Boko Haram with the help of the heads of governments in the West African sub region. Time has come for the international community to treat Boko Haram as a threat to world peace. The Nigerian government in concert with the regional force fighting Boko Haram needs help now. Any
––Nwachukwu Okafor, a Lawyer and Policy analyst wrote from Cary, North Carolina.
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