‘Split in Boko Haram a boost to counter terrorist operation in the Northeast’

The Commander of the Lake Chad Basin Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), Major General Lamidi Adeosun in a telephonic press briefing with Commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), Marine Corps. General Thomas D.  Waldhauser, has revealed that the emergence of the new faction of Boko Haram led by Al Barnawi was a boost to the counter-terrorist operation of the MNJTF in the Northeast, and the Lake Chad Basin.

According to Adeosun, Boko Haram has been challenging the military within the region before now. “We are all aware of when it broke out from the mainstream Shekau faction and how the group was also recognized by some elements of ISIS,” he said.

Speaking further he said, “The split is assisting the operation in a way and that the linkage between his group and Shekau has been severed and he is also isolated, which is good, and cornered where an operation is going on currently”, he concluded.

On the Multinational Joint Task Force support to the Nigerian troops in terms of combating terrorist groups in the Northeast, General Adeosun opined that the MNJTF, which is jointly set up by Nigeria and three other countries, is supported by the Benin Republic.

According to Adeosun, Nigeria has its own troops in MNJTF, therefore, operations are jointly planned by the member countries, and are equally carried along in counter operations. “Both the troops of the MNJTF as a body and also individually as the operations that are going on in each of the four key countries, like in Nigeria with Operation Lafiya Dole there are so many joint operations that have been conducted”, he said.

While speaking on how the cooperation with the MNJTF Boko Haram mission and AMISOM will evolve under the Trump Administration, General Thomas Waldhauser, said, “We have, for some time, cooperated and worked with this organization in training, advising and assisting of the partner nations who are taking the fight to Boko Haram and ISIS in West Africa”.

According to him, the US government will continue to provide support to the counter-terrorist fight and adjust as required. “But I think it is fair to say that our commitment to the Lake Chad Basin Region through the Multinational Joint Task Force will remain pretty much as it is in terms of the support we provide and we will continue to do that”, he said.

The purpose of the first ever African Chiefs of Defense Conference, according to the host and facilitator, Colonel Mark Cheadle, is to discuss key security challenges and work towards shared approaches contributing to security, stability, and prosperity in Africa.