Within the backdrop of setbacks, appeal for international support, the ongoing fight against Boko Haram is far from over. As days pass by; this deadly jihadists group swaps camps and tactics. Considering their latest appeal for Material, Financial and Personnel support to ISIS and Al Qaeda networks, the group is said to be fine-tuning tactics and strategies to stage a comeback and recapture most of their lost territories, from the Regional and Nigerian troops.
Africa Media in one of her morning programmes reported that huge consignments of weapons were intercepted by the Chadian forces on patrol at the borders between Chad and Sudan in the eastern part of the Saharan Desert and to the western borders of Niger and Chad. It is not clear whether these weapons were en route to the Mandarra Mountains of the Adamaoua State in Nigeria where Boko Haram is believed to be heavily regrouping. Alshaba another islamists armed group fighting the UN and AU Peace keeping forces in Somalia is reported to have pledged their material and personnel support for Boko Haram as reported by the Kenyan Broadcasting Service.
With peace talks on going in Morocco to bring the different rebel groups in Libya to form a transitional government, if peace is finally reached, the different militia in quest of shelter and money might shift their battle grounds to support Boko Haram. François Bikoro of Afrique Media predicts massive support for Boko Haram in the days ahead in a region that is bedeviled with militia groups like the Tuaregs rebels in Niger and Mali, the Saleka militia in Central Africa, the multiple armed groups in Libya, the Islamists Brotherhood fighters in Egypt and the recent squad emerging in Tunisia give reasons for anyone to believed that the Boko Haram war in Nigeria is far from over. Bikoro makes his point clearer looking at the high rate of unemployment in West and Central Africa as potential source for Boko Haram recruits. Among these fighters are miners who the jihadists group intends to be using in some of the areas with mining deposits for subsequent exchange for ammunitions.
Aljazeera in one its specialized programmes ‘Inside Story’ reported that the recent appeal from SHEKKAU for support is receiving attention within the Islamists terrorist groups. It is believed that their funding to Boko Haram is on a steady increase. This is evident from the increase number of young fighters in the ranks of the group. The media had expressed fears that should the APC candidate Mohammad Buhari fail in winning the March 28 Presidential Elections, the Boko Haram activities will escalate to scandalous heights, considering that quarters see that a change of regime from a Westerner to a Northerner might end the insurgence.
Sources close the Presidency of Cameroon have hinted National Telegraph that government is contemplating on a possible slash in civil servants’ salaries in the months ahead as their support in the fight against Boko Haram. This reduction in salaries will be proportionate to what each civil servant earns. National Telegraph further learned.
The massive ongoing mobilization from the Islamists terrorists groups in support of Boko Haram, seems to be keeping the government under permanent fear of the unknown. The National Security Council under the chairmanship of the Head of State is expected to be convened in the days ahead following the return of the Head of state from Europe. Meanwhile, top military officials are said to have been dispatched to Israel, U.S and the France for more desert war skills and tactics. All of these can only be translated into CFA and more CFA.
With increasing financial demands faced by President Biya’s government to address the ever increasing health problems especially the fight against the dreaded Ebola Virus compounded by other terminal diseases like malaria, polio, HIV/AIDS demanding justice in the form of provision of health care facilities and personnel that are by far insufficient, classified mafia from mission orders where some civil servants have fattened even the worms in their gardens, electricity and water needs beckoning on a touch of survival, road infrastructures submerged in President Biya’s three years emergency plan, financial demands from tender boards and other civil servants badly awaiting their arrears, ghost workers and fake pensioners robbing the state of lumpsums in broad day light, amongst many other stamps on the national bank account of Cameroon are all scores for the Biya regime to settle. Much money a reliable source hinted National Telegraph is also needed to fight cyber crimes and tighten presidential security in order to avoid any future intrusion into the presidential website. During the annual general meeting of the Kumbo Mutual Health Cooperative Society it was revealed that during the year under review, GIZ, German Technical Cooperation withdrew its support from the health sector in Cameroon with effect from May 12, 2014. The year National Telegraph has also learned, witnessed the gradual drop in contribution or renewals and adhesions in alarming rates while bills from service providers were very high or even more than the revenue during some months. Support to National Parks nationwide is also expected to stop in about a year or two from now and the American Health Sponsored HIV/AIDS Programme under the Cameroon Baptist Convention will also soon end. All of these and many more are issues that the government must contain.
With the fragile peace agreement in Central Africa, should it not hold, Cameroon will be facing attacks of kidnappings from two fronts. A coalition of opposition parties in the Chadian parliament are calling for the withdrawal of Chadian troops from the war against Boko Haram for lack of finances. If this was to be done, the Cameroonian troops will need more resources than ever to be combat ready. Consequently, our source concluded that salary slash is the obvious.
