Republic of Chad, a member of the
Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) against the terrorist groups,
Boko Haram and Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP), has issued
Nigeria and Niger Republic an April 22 ultimatum to reoccupy territories
Chadian troops seized from Boko Haram because it will withdraw its
forces from those locations by that date. President of Chad Idris Deby
said he had warned the two countries that his forces would move out of
the bases seized from the jihadists by April 22, regardless of whether
their armed forces moved in or not.
Speaking in an interview, Derby said his
troops deployed to fight jihadists in the Lake Chad region and the
Sahel will no longer take part in military operations outside national
borders.
Derby had led his troops in a
counterattack that decimated about 1,000 Boko Haram fighters, prompting
the leader of the terror group, Abubakar Shakau, to appeal to his
fighters not to be deterred by the onslaught against them by the Chadian
troops. Chadian armed forces said they had wound up the operation
against Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region, saying 52 soldiers have been
lost and a thousand jihadists killed.
The operation was launched after 98
Chadian soldiers were killed in a Boko Haram raid on a base at Bohoma in
the lake’s marshlands on March 23, the biggest one-day military loss in
the country’s history.
The four countries bordering the lake –
Nigeria, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon – and Benin Republic had in 2015 set
up the military coalition, MNJTF, to fight Boko Haram. But Chad, which
has some of the strongest armed forces in the Sahel, showed frustration
with the MNJTF following the Bohoma losses.
“Chad is alone in shouldering all the burden of the war against Boko Haram,” Idris publicly complained last weekend.
In announcing the end of the offensive
on Thursday, the army said its troops had expelled jihadists from
Chadian soil and had advanced deep into Niger and Nigeria. Derby said he
had warned those countries that his forces would move out of bases
seized there from the jihadists by April 22, whether their armed forces
moved in or not.
Army spokesman, Colonel Azem Bermendoa
Agouna, told the AFP news agency that 52 troops died during the
operation, which was launched on March 31.
“A thousand terrorists have been killed, 50 motorised canoes have been destroyed,” Agouna said, referring to a large boat also called a pirogue.
“A thousand terrorists have been killed, 50 motorised canoes have been destroyed,” Agouna said, referring to a large boat also called a pirogue.
Agouna said the operation, which was
launched after nearly 100 soldiers were killed in a Boko Haram attack
last month, ended on Wednesday after the armed fighters were forced out
of Chad.
It was the first official snapshot of
the outcome of Operation Bohoma Anger, launched after about 98 soldiers
were killed on March 23 in the deadliest-ever attack by Boko Haram on
the country’s military forces. The armed group had mounted a seven-hour
assault on a Chadian army base at Bohoma.
The Chadian expedition and declarations
of Derby triggered a flurry of activities in Nigerian military circles.
The Defence Headquarters said on Tuesday that Chad would not take the
glory of Nigeria’s gallantry and contributions to the war against
insurgency. Coordinator of the Directorate of Defence Media Operations,
Major General John Enenche, said Nigeria was not slowing the pace of the
war, as claimed by Derby.
Enenche stated, “To say that we are
slowing down the war is not true at all. By our mandate, you can go in
pursuit of insurgents and criminals for 25 kilometres without
consultation.
“For His Excellency President Derby to say that is not right. They are playing their part of the game. It’s not true.”
Enenche said Nigeria fought in Sierra
Leone and other countries where it left a legacy of restoration of
democratic rule and “somebody wants to take glory with 30 men. When you
are in a situation like this and it is coming to an end, some people
will be trying to take the glory. It is a distraction for a military to
say I’m taking the glory. We have done so much there.”
Army Spokesman Col Sagir Musa had issued
a statement on Friday debunking claims that foreign troops were
occupying Nigerian territory.
Musa stated, “The Nigerian Army’s
attention has been drawn to the statement now circulating on social
media claiming the security and defence forces of Chad are deeply
stationed in the islands of Niger and Nigeria, waiting to handover to
the respective armies of these friendly nations. Nigerian
Army wishes to
state that there is no Chadian or any other foreign country’s troops on
Nigerian side of the Lake Chad or in any other part of the Nigerian
territory. As a responsible organisation, the Nigerian Army finds it
necessary to clear the wrong impression or misinformation for history
and posterity as well as to avoid spreading falsehood and mischievous
publications.”
The army said regarding the Chadian
onslaught on Boko Haram, “The operation was especially welcomed and
supported by the Nigerian Army because it would deny the insurgent’s
rear and logistics bases in Chad from where they often plan and launched
attacks into Nigeria. It is hoped that the Chadian forces will sustain
operations on their side of the border to permanently deny Boko Haram
criminals of rear bases from where they can launch operations into
Nigeria.”
The statement further declared, “For the avoidance of doubt, the
Chadian Operation Bohoma Wrath took place only in Chadian territory and
not on Nigerian territory. The Chadian security and defence forces did
not cross into Nigerian territory during the operation and, thus, there
are no Chadian troops holding any Nigerian territory.“The Nigerian military is fully committed and in total support of the continued cooperation between Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria to finally and speedily decimate Boko Haram/ISWAP criminals and put final end to terrorism in the region.”
The statement said, “Members of the
public are requested to disregard the claim and misleading information
that the Chadian security and defence forces are deeply stationed in the
islands of Nigeria waiting to handover.”
It also said the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Tukur Buratai, had relocated to the North-east of Nigeria
It also said the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Tukur Buratai, had relocated to the North-east of Nigeria
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