Politics

The Nigerian Islamist sect, Boko Haram has attacked the Republic of Chad for the first time killing dozens of people. The attack took place on Ngouboua, the first Chadian village bordering Nigeria in the North. Local media reports say those killed in the attack include the village traditional authority. Chadian sources claimed that heavily armed Boko Haram fighters arrived early in the morning in canoes in Ngouboua village some 30 kilometers from the border with Nigeria and opened fire at people in the locality.This is the first Boko Haram attack deep inside Chadian territory ever since the republic of Chad joined the anti Boko Haram coalition.

As the war against Boko Haram intensifies, the perception that it is wedged by disaffected and jobless youths who oppose and hate Western Education is becoming pedestrian. The sophistication of the command and operational structures of Boko Haram leaves no one in doubt about this reality.    The weapons deployed to commit the ongoing pogrom appear to have been acquired and brought to the war zones through a complicated network. It is hard to believe that a conflict of this magnitude can occur without a complex network of individuals and organizations supporting Boko Haram’s criminal war effort. It may be reasonably suggested that it is a political establishment serving distinct interests in Nigeria and Cameroon. In Nigeria, it has never sought ransom for the many victims it has abducted. In Cameroon although officially classified as a nebulous or illusive enemy, it has turned abduction for ransom into a lucrative business. 

Boko Haram in Nigeria is a child of Nigerian history and the impunity of Northern Nigeria’s Military establishment. Armed conflict is part of Nigeria history. It is also a business which has enriched many.  People including generations unborn learn from history. The savaged brutality meted on civilians and civilian objects in Nigeria pre-exist Boko Haram. These acts of impunity were some of the methods deployed by successive military regimes, most of them from Northern Generals to accede and sustain power. The ongoing slaughter by Boko Haram follows the same pattern which in 1966 led to the Nigeria/Biafra War. The underlying cause of the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Southerners, mainly of the Ibo ethnic groups in the North was never comprehensively investigated, if at all.  There is no gainsaying that had the crimes been investigated, the result would have pointed to some powerful individuals within the Nigerian Military structure of Northern origin. For these, political power and control of the economy could only be attained through scapegoating communities whom they perceived as serious competitors.

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Ngwa Bertrand

13.Feb.2015

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At least 21 people have been killed in two separate attacks by Boko Haram Takfiri terrorists on two villages in northeast Nigeria. "They [Boko Haram militants] killed 12 people in Akida village and nine others in Mbuta village during a raid," community leader, Mustapha Abbagini, said on Friday. Witnesses said the Takfiri militants also destroyed shops and homes near the key city of Maiduguri on Thursday morning. Abbagini also said Boko Haram militants attacked Akid, located some 25 kilometers (some 15.5 miles) from Maiduguri, early Thursday when villagers were asleep. He added that the terrorists attacked Mbuta after they set homes and businesses on fire. The two attacks came before a female terrorist in northern Nigeria detonated explosives at a crowded market place in the city of Biu, which is plagued by Boko Haram violence. At least seven were killed.

As the war against Boko Haram intensifies, the perception that it is wedged by disaffected and jobless youths who oppose and hate Western Education is becoming pedestrian. The sophistication of the command and operational structures of Boko Haram leaves no one in doubt about this reality.    The weapons deployed to commit the ongoing pogrom appear to have been acquired and brought to the war zones through a complicated network. It is hard to believe that a conflict of this magnitude can occur without a complex network of individuals and organizations supporting Boko Haram’s criminal war effort. It may be reasonably suggested that it is a political establishment serving distinct interests in Nigeria and Cameroon. In Nigeria, it has never sought ransom for the many victims it has abducted. In Cameroon although officially classified as a nebulous or illusive enemy, it has turned abduction for ransom into a lucrative business. 

Boko Haram in Nigeria is a child of Nigerian history and the impunity of Northern Nigeria’s Military establishment. Armed conflict is part of Nigeria history. It is also a business which has enriched many.  People including generations unborn learn from history. The savaged brutality meted on civilians and civilian objects in Nigeria pre-exist Boko Haram. These acts of impunity were some of the methods deployed by successive military regimes, most of them from Northern Generals to accede and sustain power. The ongoing slaughter by Boko Haram follows the same pattern which in 1966 led to the Nigeria/Biafra War. The underlying cause of the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Southerners, mainly of the Ibo ethnic groups in the North was never comprehensively investigated, if at all.  There is no gainsaying that had the crimes been investigated, the result would have pointed to some powerful individuals within the Nigerian Military structure of Northern origin. For these, political power and control of the economy could only be attained through scapegoating communities whom they perceived as serious competitors.

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Ngwa Bertrand

13.Feb.2015

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Money in the hands of Boko Haram is money that kills. And Boko Haram cannot terrorize without money. Finance networks operated by Boko Haram exist in Nigeria with the potential to penetrate Cameroon official money markets. The financial warfare therefore remains the most efficient soft power responses against international terrorism. One of the most challenging aspects in the war against terror is combating Jihadist terrorist finances. Understandably the financing of terrorism appears to possess a very dynamic agenda metamorphosing and making its comprehension extremely difficult. It is very disturbing to think that Nigeria, the so called giant of Africa has failed to develop the capacity to predict innovations in the method that Boko Haram as a terrorist organizations uses in carrying out their fund raising.

Intrinsically, to carry out terror attacks even as massive as that which took place in Fotokol in Cameroon does not necessarily demand huge sums of funding. However, cutting off the resources both financial and material exploited by Boko Haram through an efficient and effective internationalization of finance surveillance policy may actually deter Boko Haram attacks and preventing the movement of smaller amount of funding can save many lives and property and reduce the devastating impact of Boko Haram attacks which were of course difficult to prevent.

Apart from the operational cost of carrying out a terror attack, Boko Haram is badly in need of funding to undertake recruitment programs, the purchase of sophisticated communication tools, propaganda, planning, and infrastructure. Correspondingly, the policy of internationalization of finance surveillance within the ECOWAS and Sub Saharan regions has the potential to make available routes that can help in intelligence gathering on how a terror attack was staged and revealing the identities of the perpetrators and helping to identify other members and sympathizers who contributed in one way or the other to the attack.

The financial surveillance policy will also help secret service officers gain a better understanding of the modus operandi of Boko Haram’s fighters operating within the Northern regions of Nigeria and Cameroon including Niger. In Cameroon, terror attacks have never been part of our society. Now that they occur on a daily basis, they create serious repercussions in both domestic and international politics and business. For instance, the massacre on Fotokol is causing our government millions of dollars.

Mindful of the difficulties in assessing the effectiveness of the internationalization of finance surveillance policy, evaluations and success stories are not rare on this policy. We of Cameroon Concord think that President Biya should pressure his Nigerian counterpart for the adoption of some measures aimed at countering terrorism. The formulation of these counterterrorism responses should be based on intelligence gathering and sharing, the war on terror which is already going on involving the anti Boko Haram coalition, greater policing, the passing of new anti-terrorism legislations not based on a CPDM intimidation approach such as the terrorism law recently passed in Cameroon, the policies of disruption, prosecution, deportation, control orders, proscription and finance surveillance.

Cameroonians are yet to see any set of financial regulations adopted by Nigeria ranging from assets freezing of people suspected of having links with Boko Haram to requirements demanding the reporting of suspicious transfer of money. We have not seen bank accounts belonging to individuals and cultural and tribal organizations operating in the North of Nigeria being shut down and above all, we have not seen any attempt by the Nigerian government aimed at preventing any financial transactions deep within the informal banking sector in the Northern regions of Nigeria. President Goodluck has not implemented any policy to check fraud, smuggling, extortion which are all means by which Boko Haram moves money around. It is high time we acknowledge that the ranting “Nigeria is the giant of Africa” is a mere empty rhetoric. With our troops already inside Nigeria, President Biya should challenge President Goodluck to get into state business and forget about the distractions coming from the political wing of Boko Haram known in Nigeria as the APC party.

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Ngwa Bertrand

13.Feb.2015

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Contrary to some Western media reports that there are internal divisions between the Cameroonian and Chadian servicemen stationed in Fotokol and Gambaru in Cameroon and Nigeria respectively, both the Chadian and the Cameroon military have refuted such claims. A Cameroon army commander was quoted recently as saying on Face book that there is a perfect agreement between the anti Boko Haram coalition forces.

Said the commander: “The anti Boko Haram coalition has one goal in mind and that is to eradicate the Nigerian Islamic sect. We eat the same couscous, even okro”.Cameroon Concord’s military informant in the Far North region claimed earlier today that the Nigerian Islamic sect, Boko Haram will soon breathe their last.

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Ngwa Bertrand

12.Feb.2015

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The President of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou has urged his nation to stand firm against Boko Haram Takfiri militants who have been repeatedly launching cross-border sorties from Nigeria over the last few days.  "Our country will not go down in history as having been cowed by an enemy that wants to cover our country in darkness," said Issoufou during a speech broadcast on national radio on Wednesday.  On Tuesday, Niger’s capital city, Niamey, declared a state of emergency in the Diffa border region with Nigeria over the violence perpetrated by the Takfiri militants .  Niger’s parliament also voted to contribute soldiers to a regional force aimed at fighting the Boko Haram militants.    "The people must support the defense and security forces, especially by signing up," Issoufou added.He also called for a "general mobilization" and urged the country’s youth not to fall for Boko Haram propaganda. Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Benin have pledged to create an 8,700-strong force to fight the militancy.

As the war against Boko Haram intensifies, the perception that it is wedged by disaffected and jobless youths who oppose and hate Western Education is becoming pedestrian. The sophistication of the command and operational structures of Boko Haram leaves no one in doubt about this reality.    The weapons deployed to commit the ongoing pogrom appear to have been acquired and brought to the war zones through a complicated network. It is hard to believe that a conflict of this magnitude can occur without a complex network of individuals and organizations supporting Boko Haram’s criminal war effort. It may be reasonably suggested that it is a political establishment serving distinct interests in Nigeria and Cameroon. In Nigeria, it has never sought ransom for the many victims it has abducted. In Cameroon although officially classified as a nebulous or illusive enemy, it has turned abduction for ransom into a lucrative business. 

Boko Haram in Nigeria is a child of Nigerian history and the impunity of Northern Nigeria’s Military establishment. Armed conflict is part of Nigeria history. It is also a business which has enriched many.  People including generations unborn learn from history. The savaged brutality meted on civilians and civilian objects in Nigeria pre-exist Boko Haram. These acts of impunity were some of the methods deployed by successive military regimes, most of them from Northern Generals to accede and sustain power. The ongoing slaughter by Boko Haram follows the same pattern which in 1966 led to the Nigeria/Biafra War. The underlying cause of the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Southerners, mainly of the Ibo ethnic groups in the North was never comprehensively investigated, if at all.  There is no gainsaying that had the crimes been investigated, the result would have pointed to some powerful individuals within the Nigerian Military structure of Northern origin. For these, political power and control of the economy could only be attained through scapegoating communities whom they perceived as serious competitors.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

12.Feb.2015

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The Nigerian Islamic sect launched a massive attack on Chadian military installations early this morning deep inside Fotokol in the Far North region of Cameroon. Our informant said heavy artillery fire started at about 4 am. We have also gathered that the Boko Haram militants are now using heavy and sophisticated weaponry against positions of the Chadian army. A Cameroon military official, who spoke to us a while ago, hinted that the jihadists used tunnels and surprised the Chadian service men stationed at Fotokol. The Chadian army has deployed nearly 2,500 men to support the Cameroon army in the fight against the Nigerian Islamist sect Boko Haram.

This new revelation of the existence of tunnels linking Gambaru in Nigeria to Fotokol has made military matters more intractable.As the war against Boko Haram intensifies, the perception that it is wedged by disaffected and jobless youths who oppose and hate Western Education is becoming pedestrian. The sophistication of the command and operational structures of Boko Haram leaves no one in doubt about this reality.    The weapons deployed to commit the ongoing pogrom appear to have been acquired and brought to the war zones through a complicated network. It is hard to believe that a conflict of this magnitude can occur without a complex network of individuals and organizations supporting Boko Haram’s criminal war effort. It may be reasonably suggested that it is a political establishment serving distinct interests in Nigeria and Cameroon. In Nigeria, it has never sought ransom for the many victims it has abducted. In Cameroon although officially classified as a nebulous or illusive enemy, it has turned abduction for ransom into a lucrative business. 

Boko Haram in Nigeria is a child of Nigerian history and the impunity of Northern Nigeria’s Military establishment. Armed conflict is part of Nigeria history. It is also a business which has enriched many.  People including generations unborn learn from history. The savaged brutality meted on civilians and civilian objects in Nigeria pre-exist Boko Haram. These acts of impunity were some of the methods deployed by successive military regimes, most of them from Northern Generals to accede and sustain power. The ongoing slaughter by Boko Haram follows the same pattern which in 1966 led to the Nigeria/Biafra War. The underlying cause of the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Southerners, mainly of the Ibo ethnic groups in the North was never comprehensively investigated, if at all.  There is no gainsaying that had the crimes been investigated, the result would have pointed to some powerful individuals within the Nigerian Military structure of Northern origin. For these, political power and control of the economy could only be attained through scapegoating communities whom they perceived as serious competitors.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

11.Feb.2015

Hits: 2079