17 mars 2015 Journal de la Défense (#JDef)

16/03/2015 Par RFI

Depuis dimanche, 15 mars, minuit, le mandat d'Eufor-RCA est officiellement terminé. Les 700 militaires de la force européenne ont quitté la Centrafrique. Leur mission visait à accompagner le déploiement de la Minusca et sécuriser l'aéroport de Bangui ainsi que les 5e et 3e arrondissements de Bangui.

Au cœur du 3e arrondissement de Bangui, le quartier du PK5 ne fait plus figure d’enclave assiégée. Les commerces ont rouvert, les clients reviennent petit à petit du reste de la ville et les musulmans du quartier se rendent jusqu’au centre-ville sans grands risques.

Si la sécurité est là, c’est grâce au travail d’Eufor-RCA, s’accorde-t-on à dire ici. «Ils ont bien travaillé. Ils vont partir, on va bien regretter, comme ils ont tout fait. Ils ont ramené la paix, maintenant il y a une cohésion sociale. On est là, musulmans et chrétiens, ensemble », se réjouit Abdel, un habitant du quartier. Moussa, lui, a du mal à cacher une certaine inquiétude : « Avec l’Eufor qui sillonne les rues, les malfaiteurs ont peur de se promener avec des armes. Mais une fois qu’elle sera partie, je ne sais pas… Inch’Allah, on va voir si ça peut aller.»

En attendant le déploiement des policiers et des gendarmes, la sécurité du 3e arrondissement revient à la Minusca. «On leur fait confiance parce qu’ils sont des Africains comme nous. Espérons qu’ils vont mettre de l’ordre. Eux aussi ont travaillé avec Sangaris, avec l’Eufor. Ils ont aussi l’idée de rétablir la paix, donc on leur fait confiance», confie Ibrahim. La réouverture du commissariat du 3e aura lieu dans quelques jours. Un événement que tout le monde attend au quartier PK5, comme un nouveau signe d’un retour à la normale.

Mission remplie

Au terme de la mission d’Eufor-RCA, son patron, le général Philippe Pontiès, ne cache pas sa satisfaction. «Si on compare la situation d’aujourd’hui à celle qui prévalait il y a un an, on a des raisons d’être collectivement fiers», déclarait-il il y a quelques jours. On retiendra d’Eufor-RCA son accouchement aux forceps, des semaines de négociations difficiles entre Etats membres. La force ne dépassera d’ailleurs pas les 700 hommes, dont un tiers de Français et un contingent de 150 Géorgiens, sur les 1 000 souhaités au départ.

Sur le terrain, il faut attendre deux mois pour qu’Eufor soit en mesure de prendre en charge la totalité des secteurs qui lui sont alloués : l’aéroport de Bangui, ainsi que les 3e et 5e arrondissements, certains des points les plus chauds de la capitale. Mais les résultats se font sentir et la force européenne parvient à faire baisser la tension. La force est aussi un appui aux populations. Elle installe ainsi un pont pour relier les 2e et 3e arrondissements.

Eufor-RCA a donc plié bagage, mais l’Union européenne garde une implication militaire en Centrafrique: Eumam, 60 conseillers chargés d’aider les autorités de transition à réhabiliter les forces armées centrafricaines.

MARCH 15, 2015 By ERIC SCHMITT - nytimes.com

NDJAMENA, Chad — Deep in the Sahara, late at night, a Reaper drone silently tracked a six-vehicle convoy crossing the desert into Niger from Libya. Minutes later, French attack planes and helicopter gunships swooped down on the convoy of Qaeda-backed fighters, turning the militant caravan into smoldering wreckage.

The raid last October by French combat aircraft and commandos killed or captured 15 Islamist fighters, and recovered nearly three tons of weapons, including Russian-designed SA-7 shoulder-fired missiles and several hundred anti-tank rockets, all bound for guerrilla operations in Mali, French officials said.

The attack also provided a view of an increasingly violent, multifront campaign that France has joined here in the Sahel, a vast area on the southern flank of the Sahara that stretches from Senegal to Chad. The battle is being waged to combat Al Qaeda’s affiliate in North Africa and other Islamist extremists in Mali, and more recently to thwart Boko Haram, a violent militancy that is spilling across from Nigeria to attack Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

Last summer, France reorganized its 3,000-member force in West Africa to carry out its counterterrorism fight more effectively in some of the harshest terrain on the planet.

Read more

15 mars 2015 Par Wajdi Khalifa, correspondant à Bruxelles. - kapitalis.com

Des militaires belges vont participer à une mission d'instruction en Tunisie à partir de ce mois de mars. Une première dans la coopération belgo-tunisienne.

Le Conseil des ministres belge, sur proposition du ministre de la Défense, Steven Vandeput, a donné son accord, vendredi 13 mars 2015, pour l'envoi d'un détachement militaire en Tunisie pour l'exécution d'une mission d'instruction au profit des unités spéciales tunisiennes.

Un détachement de quinze militaires, issu pour la plupart des forces spéciales (Special Forces Group), sera déployé principalement dans le nord de la Tunisie, à partir de la mi-mars 2015 pour une période d'environ 3 semaines, pour l'exécution d'une mission d'instruction visant à accroître l'efficacité du groupement des forces spéciales tunisiennes.

L'initiative, a une dimension bilatérale : elle répond répond à une demande de la Tunisie qui veut profiter de l'expérience des forces spéciales belges, parmi les meilleures au monde, et l'armée belge gagnera, en retour, une expérience en «desert training».

Cette coopération, inédite entre les deux pays, intervient quelques semaines après la visite en Tunisie de Gilles de Kerchove, coordinateur européen pour la lutte contre le terrorisme. Lors de cette visite, Gilles de Kerchove a rencontré le ministre de la Défense nationale, Farhat Horchani, pour lui réaffirmer l'engagement des pays européens à apporter à la Tunisie les moyens nécessaires pour lutter contre le terrorisme, et l'accompagner dans son processus de formation de ses élites sécuritaires

March 13, 2015: Strategy Page

Algeria has offered to host peace talks for the mess in Libya, as has neighboring Morocco. So far this year Libyan factions have held negotiating sessions in both countries, but no peace deal has yet been agreed to. Despite the appearance of ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) in Libya Algeria and most Western nations (especially the EU) still see a negotiated settlement as the best way to deal with the Libya civil war. The Libyan Tobruk (officially recognized by the UN) government goes along with this, mainly because they cannot afford to annoy the UN and risk losing international recognition as the legitimate government.

While the government continues to call for an “Algerian solution” to the chaos in Libya, less well publicized are the details of how Algeria achieved that solution. Algeria finally got a political deal with its surviving Islamic terrorists only after a decade of horrific violence. Because of all that slaughter Islamic radicalism lost most of its popular appeal by the late 1990s. This came after Islamic terrorists organized a rebellion earlier in the 1990s and murdered over 100,000 civilians who did not agree with them (or enthusiastically aid them). That bloodbath ended in 2005 with an amnesty deal that attracted most of the remaining Islamic terrorists. Some of the Islamic terrorists still operating in Algeria seem to acknowledge that connection and avoid further antagonizing civilians with the kind of mayhem still popular in places like Libya, Iraq and Syria. Despite the 2005 peace deal there still about a hundred armed Islamic terrorists killed in Algeria during 2014. So far this year it appears that number will be lower for 2015.

The increased Algerian border security, especially on the Mali and Libyan borders has led to more arrests, but almost all of those caught are smugglers, not Islamic terrorists. Most of the smugglers are moving consumer goods (cheap fuel, expensive alcohol, gadgets and low level drugs like cannabis, for use in Algeria) and illegal migrants headed for Europe. More valuable shipments like drugs headed for Europe (cocaine and heroin), precious metals (usually gold), illegal weapons (especially large quantities of explosives, RPGs and assault rifles), illegal migrants (who can afford to pay high fees) and known Islamic terrorists are rarely caught. This shows that these cargoes are relatively rare compared to food, fuel, consumer goods  and people smuggling and that many of the high-end smugglers who move these expensive items still have their arrangements with border security commanders to allow those who can pay large bribes to get through without interference. The border guards have incentives to catch smugglers as they get some of the value of the seized vehicles (usually expensive all-terrain models) and cargo as well as bribes from smugglers carrying items (like cocaine or hashish headed for Europe) that will not cause a unwanted publicity (about lax border security) inside Algeria.  Weapons are often carried by smugglers for self-defense against bandits, but the border guards make a big deal out of each arrested smuggler caught with self-defense weapons as being an “arms smuggler.” The increased border security effort has become a major problem for the low-end smugglers who have had to find new smuggling routes as the traditional ones (some used for centuries) are now patrolled by aircraft and troops on the ground. Because of the Islamic terror threat the government has made it more difficult for the smugglers to bribe their way past the security forces, which has simply led to higher bribes being paid by those (like Islamic terrorist groups that dominate drug smuggling in the region) who can afford it. The low value smugglers still get through, but in fewer numbers and via more difficult routes. The security forces are still detecting or arresting Islamic terrorists in the south and north who got smuggled in successfully or were recruited locally. Most of the smugglers arrested are not Algerians although Algerians tend to be the most common nationality found to be involved.

March 12, 2015: A court sentenced a blogger to six months in jail for posting a 2012 comment that the army considered insulting. The prosecutor wanted a ten year sentence and the accused was released after the trial because he had already been in jail awaiting trial for seven months. The blogger showed no regret for what he had done and the trial divided the country with many Algerians believing the government had gone too far in this case.

March 11, 2015: In the capital two days of UN sponsored peace talks between the major factions in the Libyan civil war ended with sweet words and eagerness to keep talking, but nothing that would end the fighting. The Libyan factions did admit that these talks are not just an effort to bring back peace and prosperity but also a matter of survival. The appearance of ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) in Libya has caused thousands of the more fanatic Islamic terrorists to sign in as affiliates of this highly destructive and uncompromising group. This has not created a united ISIL force and ISIL appears to spend most of its time raiding and looting just to get fed and resupplied with fuel and ammo. There are still organized Islamic terrorists groups fighting government (both Tripoli and Tobruk) forces but there is less of that because of the need to find something to eat.

March 10, 2015: Three Islamic terrorists were killed (and weapons and ammo seized) in a clash with soldiers 145 kilometers west of the capital.

March 4, 2015: In neighboring Tunisia police killed two Islamic terrorists near the Algerian border in the Chaambi Mountains. This came in the midst of another major sweep of the area to find hidden Islamic terrorist camps. Algeria moved more troops to the border area opposite the Chaambi Mountains in 2014 to prevent Islamic terrorists from entering Algeria. These big sweeps in the Chaambi Mountains have been going on since 2013 when, for the first time since 2007, Tunisa had to deal with organized groups of Islamic terrorists. The recent sweeps have found more weapons and other supplies hidden by Islamic terrorists for later user. Unoccupied camps have also been uncovered but there appear to be fewer and fewer Islamic terrorists up in the hills. The terrorists are often found to have moved, sometimes across the border, because they detected the approaching troops. Tunisia believes the Islamic terrorists in these mountains are sustained by supporters in cities and towns who get supplies and new recruits to them. Thus Tunisia is now paying more attention to the Islamic terrorist support network in the cities and towns. Not surprisingly there’s a lot more Islamic terrorist activity on the Libyan border, where the same types of sweeps are conducted but more frequently.

March 1, 2015: Troops ambushed Islamic terrorists near Beni Douala (95 kilometers east of the capital) and killed one of them.

February 28, 2015: In the south (near Tamanrasset, 2,000 kilometers south of the capital) 40 policemen were injured while dealing with hundreds of young Tuareg men violently demonstrating against government attempts to drill exploratory shale oil wells in the desert area. The Tuareg (the southern branch of the Berbers) are the majority in this thinly populated area and fear that the fracking process required to recover the oil trapped in shale rock will pollute the limited local water supply. In addition to fighting with police the protestors burned down the home of the local mayor. The Tuareg are nomads and their language and genetic makeup are similar to the Berbers. Most Algerians are genetically Berber but only about 20 percent of Algerians are culturally Berber and about 15 percent of these Berbers are Tuareg living down south. Although the Berbers are largely farmers and urban dwellers living along the coast most Tuareg are still nomads (or consider themselves such). Over two thousand years of invasions and conquests by foreigners has resulted in most Algerians becoming culturally Arab. These cultural differences are often a source of conflict. Genetic studies have shown the Tuareg to be more Berber than those in the north, apparently because there was less intercourse with invaders. During the ice age (and until a few thousand years ago) the Sahara was a well-watered plain where the ancestors of the Berbers and Tuareg were dominant. As the area turned to desert after the last ice age ended 12,000 years ago many of these people fled to the Nile River and became the ancient Egyptians. 

February 24, 2015: In Tunisia security forces arrested over a hundred Islamic terrorism suspects after uncovering an ISIL plot to launch numerous attacks inside Tunisia. That sort of violence has few fans in Tunisia and many locals willing to call the police with reports of suspicious behavior.

February 18, 2015: In neighboring Tunisia four policemen were ambushed and killed by Islamic terrorists near the Algerian border in the Chaambi Mountains. This was the first such Islamic terrorist activity in this area this year. Police assured the public that they would hunt down and find the attackers.

February 16, 2015: The fifth round of peace talks began in Algeria between the Mali government and an alliance of six northern rebel groups. This round of talks featured the personal participation of the Mali prime minister for the first time. These talks have been making slow progress because of the reluctance of the majority of Malians (black Africans in the south) to grant the degree of autonomy the lighter skinned Arab and Tuareg minority in the north want. Getting the Mali prime minister personally involved is seen as a step forward but there is still no final agreement.  After three days of negotiations there was still deadlock but the Tuareg rebels agreed to an immediate ceasefire to halt the fighting that has been going on for weeks.

February 14, 2015: In the northeast troops killed an Islamic terrorists near the Tunisian border.

February 13, 2015: Soldiers searching for terrorists about 100 kilometers southeast of the capital found and destroyed twelve structures (some of them fortified) along with twenty bombs and grenades as well as some electronic equipment. Also found was the decomposing body of a man later identified as a wanted Islamic terrorist leader.

Mar 13, 2015 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: Denel; issued March 10, 2015)

New Alliance to Boost South Africa’s Electronic Warfare Capabilities

Denel has joined forces with local specialist company, GEW Technologies, owned by Airbus, to collaborate on future electronic warfare programmes.

The new alliance will significantly strengthen South Africa’s capabilities in an area that has become a primary feature of modern defence systems, says the Group CEO of Denel, Riaz Saloojee. “We are combining the experience, reputation and resources of Denel with the specialist technology and expertise offered by GEW Technologies to create an alliance that will best serve the strategic interests of South Africa.”

Electronic warfare technology has been singled out in the 2014 Defence Review as a “key technology domain” and a “sovereign capability” which must be under the control of local South African companies.

Mr Carel van der Merwe, the CEO of GEW Technologies says the company has more than 40 years of experience in the design and production of sophisticated communication monitoring, countermeasures and integrated security systems. “We are looking forward to work with Denel in an alliance that heralds a new era in electronic warfare programmes in South Africa,” he says.

The company’s ties with Airbus Defence and Space will add the international experience and expertise of Europe’s leading manufacturer of defence technology. Denel already has a strong working relationship with Airbus through its role as a top tier supplier of aerostructures for the A400M, the world’s most advanced military airlifter.

“This agreement confirms the trust that Airbus has in the capabilities of both Denel and GEW Technologies and will strengthen the relationship between our companies,” said Mr Andreas Huelle, the Head of Electronic Warfare at Airbus Defence and Space.

The recently established Denel Integrated Systems and Management will manage the implementation of the agreement and drive the projects and programmes that will form the core of its activities.

The CEO, Ismail Dockrat, says Denel ISM was primarily created to be a partner of the defence and security sectors in the design, management, integration and through-life support of complex systems.

“Electronic warfare will be a primary future area of focus for the SANDF to rapidly expand its current capabilities and implement counter-measures to combat potential threats to the security of the country.

This partnership between Denel ISM and GEW Technologies will play a leadership role to coordinate different initiatives in the field, advise decision-makers on the acquisition of the most appropriate systems, ensure that the end-users are adequately trained and provide on-going support, maintenance and upgrading of the systems,” says Dockrat.

13 mars 2015 Romandie.com (AFP)

Bamako - Les services de renseignements du Mali ont abattu vendredi à Bamako l'un des auteurs présumés de l'attentat du 7 mars, qui a fait cinq morts dans la capitale, a appris l'AFP auprès de leurs forces spéciales.

Lors d'un assaut lancé ce vendredi, l'un des auteurs du crime terroriste de samedi dernier a été tué. Il n'a pas voulu se rendre, a déclaré à l'AFP le numéro 2 des forces spéciales, communément appelées sécurité d'Etat.

Nous avons localisé l'individu dans un quartier populaire de Bamako. Il est originaire du nord. Il s'était rasé la tête, a indiqué un autre responsable des forces spéciales qui a affirmé avoir participé à l'opération, précisant que le suspect avait la peau claire.

C'est l'un des assaillants de samedi. C'est lui qui, à moto, avait lancé une grenade dans la rue du bar-restaurant La Terrasse, a-t-il assuré.

Une source hospitalière a indiqué à l'AFP que le corps de l'homme abattu avait été amené à l'hôpital Gabriel Touré, où avaient été soignés les blessés de l'attentat.

Appuyées par des policiers de la Mission de l'ONU au Mali (Minusma) et des enquêteurs français et belges arrivés en renfort, les investigations ciblent une dizaine de véritables terroristes organisés, selon des sources proches du dossier.

Parmi eux figurent un binational russo-malien, qui n'a pu être localisé, et le chauffeur présumé, qui serait handicapé, a-t-on précisé.

Cet attentat à la grenade et à l'arme automatique, le premier à frapper des Occidentaux à Bamako, a fait cinq morts: trois Maliens, un Français et un Belge, et huit blessés, dont deux Suisses, au bar-restaurant La Terrasse et aux alentours de ce haut lieu de la vie nocturne dans la capitale.

L'attentat a été revendiqué par le groupe jihadiste Al-Mourabitoune de l'Algérien Mokhtar Belmokhtar, qui a dit vouloir venger le prophète de l'islam insulté et moqué par l'Occident mécréant, ainsi qu'un de ses chefs tué par l'armée française en décembre dans le nord du Mali.

12 March 2015 by Oscar Nkala - defenceWeb

The Ugandan parliament has turned down a request from the Ugandan People's Defence Force (UPDF) to borrow $170 million for the acquisition of new military equipment, saying the military needs to account for previous emergency defence budgets.

The UPDF request came as a high level Ugandan government delegation led by Foreign Affairs and Regional Co-operation minister Asuman Kiyingi visited Pakistan and toured the Pakistan Ordnance Factory (POF), whose products include assault rifles, machineguns, mortars, artillery pieces and ammunition. The POF also produces tanks and anti-tank ammunition, bombs and grenades and has exported its products to more than 40 countries around the world.

According to Ugandan media reports, the UPDF's request for emergency funding was presented by its commander General Katumba Wamala and defence minister General Jeje Ondongo. The two generals told parliament that the army needs new equipment to deal with a 'volatile' national security situation and regional instability caused by militia activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Al Shabaab militants.

The defence officials also cited the recent discovery of oil in the country saying this was also likely to attract new national security threats. A member of parliament who spoke to the media on condition of anonymity said the request was turned down because the defence officials refused to provide details of the equipment requirements.

“They told us that they must secure the country and the equipment they have does not match modern technology. They are asking for $170 million to acquire modern equipment because of the volatile situation within the country and the region, especially in Congo and Somalia.

"They refused to disclose the type of equipment they want to purchase under the guise of classified expenditure, but some of us said no to this classified expenditure because under the current fiscal year, we passed a lot of classified expenditure but they have not given us the status report on how they used it,” the MP said.

Gen Wamala reportedly told parliament that the army could not disclose the types and quantities weapons sought because doing so could compromise national security. However, Pakistani media reports said the Ugandan delegation which visited the POF demonstration lounges and armaments factory units showed 'keen interest' in acquiring several weapons for the UPDF.

The delegation was taken around the POF complex by chairman Lieutenant General Muhammad Ahsan Mahmood, who is also the company director of exports. “I was very much impressed by the capacity and capabilities developed by the government of Pakistan in the armament industry. Uganda should collaborate and cooperate more with Pakistan so that we can tap into each others potentialities," Kiyingi said.

In a statement released after the Ugandan tour, the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the two countries agreed to further strengthen co-operation with Uganda in fields of defence and security among others.

"During the official talks both sides emphasized the need for high-level political contacts and enhancing cooperation in the fields of agriculture, industry, defence and security. It was agreed to conclude, at an early date, a new MoU on bilateral political consultations between the Foreign Ministries of Pakistan and Uganda," the statement said.

The Ugandan delegation's tour will be reciprocated with a visit to Pakistan by President Yoweri Museveni in the second half of this year. Both countries will be seeking to expand relations based on the existing bi-lateral Technical Assistance Programme, through which 21 Ugandan diplomats have been trained at the Foreign Service Academy of Pakistan.

Early this year, the United Nations Security Council's Panel of Experts (PoE) monitoring the implementation of sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said there are indications the Uganda wants to acquire 'non-lethal' military equipment from the reclusive communist state following the visit of a high-level military delegation to Kampala in October last year.

North Korean instructors have over the past few years trained the Ugandan Police Special Force, Police Construction Unit, Criminal and Forensic Investigation Unit in specialised martial arts, marine policing and sharp shooting.

Ongoing programmes include the training of a special paramilitary police unit known as the Field Force Unit on the use of AK-47s and pistols. It also remains unclear if the UPDF's equipment needs include provision for regional ally South Sudan.

In October last year, the two countries signed a military procurement agreement in terms of which Uganda will buy weapons on behalf of its neighbour which has come under a UN arms embargo following the outbreak of the ongoing civil war in December 2013.

12/03/2015 Sources : État-major des armées

La semaine a été marquée par l’achèvement du processus de consultations populaires dans le pays, avec les dernières consultations conduites à Kaga Bandoro et à Birao.

Ce processus, initié par l’Etat de transition, visait à aller à la rencontre de l’ensemble de la population, afin de faire remonter les grandes préoccupations du pays à l’approche du Forum de Bangui. Au bilan, la totalité des régions du pays a été couverte par ce processus, et 92% des consultations prévues ont été tenues, les 8 % ne l’ayant pas été pour des raisons d’accessibilité uniquement. Lorsque les consultations ont été confrontées à divers blocages, c’est la population qui s’est déplacée d’elle-même vers la préfecture. La MINUSCA et la force Sangaris ont apporté une aide logistique ainsi qu’un appui sécuritaire aux délégations se rendant dans les différentes régions.

Lundi 9 mars, le pont Bailey « Pont de la Concorde » a été inauguré par la chef de l’Etat de transition en présence d’autorités civiles et militaires à Bangui. Ce chantier a été réalisé suite à l’écroulement des berges le long de l’Oubangui, détruisant le pont qui reliait les deux arrondissements du sud-ouest de Bangui (le 6ème et 2ème). Du 4 au 7 mars, une section du 3ème régiment de génie et une dizaine de militaires centrafricains du génie ont ainsi mené un chantier de reconstruction d’un pont provisoire de type Bailey, permettant de relier à nouveau les deux arrondissements.

Depuis cette semaine, la force Sangaris compte 1 700 militaires et non plus 2 000. Cette évolution marque la première étape du désengagement progressif des forces françaises de République centrafricaine, planifié depuis le déploiement de la force de l’ONU sur le territoire. S’appuyant toujours sur deux GTIA, le dispositif de la force Sangaris s’articule désormais sur le principe d’une force de réaction, avec une partie du dispositif (GTIA Turco) déployé dans Bangui, le couloir central et l’Est du pays, et l’autre (GTIA Vercors) déployé selon les besoins en appui des forces françaises et de l’ONU. Cette évolution du format de la force Sangaris, planifié depuis plusieurs mois, avait été initiée fin 2014 avec l’allègement du volume de troupes de combat et la densification des moyens plus mobiles (VBCI, hélicoptères Tigre, DRAC).

Environ 1 700 militaires français sont actuellement déployés dans l’opération Sangaris, aux côtés des 8 500 hommes de la MINUSCA. Lancée le 5 décembre 2013 par le président de la République, l’opération Sangaris vise à rétablir un niveau de sécurité minimale en République centrafricaine et à accompagner la montée en puissance progressive de la mission de l’ONU.

12 March 2015 defenceWeb (Reuters)

The United States supports the creation of a West African force of up to 10,000 troops to fight Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram, a U.S. defence official said on Wednesday.

The 54-nation African Union has approved the force and has asked the United Nations to endorse it urgently, after attacks by the group in northeastern Nigeria and neighbouring Chad, Niger and Cameroon as it seeks to carve out an Islamic state.

U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for African Affairs Amanda J. Dory said on a visit to Cameroon that Washington, one of five veto-holding members of the U.N. Security Council, would back a U.N. resolution.

"The U.S. is providing diplomatic support in terms of engagement in the U.N. Security Council for the awaited resolution authorising the deployment of a Multinational Joint Task Force by the African Union against Boko Haram," she told state radio.

If approved, the new force would receive U.N. funding and would be likely to result in a bigger and better resourced operation than the offensive currently being mounted against the militants by Nigeria and its neighbours.

Boko Haram has killed thousands of people in northeastern Nigeria in its six-year insurgency and last week pledged allegiance to the Islamic State which has created a self-declared caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria.

However, a perception that Nigeria was failing to deal with the militants alone, and a growing number of cross-border attacks, prompted Nigeria, Chad, Niger, Cameroon to launch their existing operation to try to contain the militants.

Nigeria government spokesman Mike Omeri said on Wednesday that Nigeria and its allies had recovered a total of 36 towns from Boko Haram.

Diplomats said the African Union Peace and Security Council was due to discuss on Thursday the text of a possible resolution that could then be circulated to the 15 U.N. Security Council members.

Chad's U.N. Ambassador Mahamat Cherif has said he hoped the council could vote on a resolution by end-March.

France, which holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council, has been seeking to rally support for the resolution in time for a vote by early April, diplomats said.

The United States has already helped Cameroon's army security equipment to fight Boko Haram and France is increasing its own West African counter-insurgency force to support regional troops fighting Boko Haram.

11 mars 2015 Romandie.com (AFP)

Abuja - Trente-six localités ont été reprises à Boko Haram dans le nord-est du Nigeria depuis le début de l'offensive régionale en février, a affirmé mercredi le gouvernement nigérian qui dit attendre une défaite complète des insurgés islamistes.

Mike Omeri, porte-parole du gouvernement nigérian chargé des questions de sécurité, a précisé à la presse que quatre localités étaient tombées depuis le 6 mars, dont Buni Yadi, dans l'Etat de Yobe. Plus de 40 étudiants y avaient été massacrés en février 2014 par les extrémistes qui s'étaient ensuite emparés de la ville en août.

Trois autres localités ont été reprises en moins d'une semaine dans l'Etat de Borno, voisin du Yobe, et bastion historique de Boko Haram, qui s'était emparé au cours de l'année 2014 de pans entiers du nord-est du Nigeria.

Le porte-parole nigérian a expliqué que ces succès contre Boko Haram, qui vient d'annoncer son allégeance à l'organisation Etat islamique (EI), étaient dus aux coopérations et alliances avec les Etats voisins, Cameroun, Tchad et Niger. Il les a remerciés de couper les lignes de ravitaillement des terroristes.

On espère que la coopération régionale en cours va précipiter la défaite et l'extermination de Boko Haram au Nigeria et dans la région, a dit M. Omeri.

S'exprimant devant l'Atlantic Council, un centre de réflexion basé à Washington, le chef des services de renseignements nigérians, Ayodele Oke, a dit croire qu'en l'espace de quelques semaines les combattants islamistes ne contrôleraient plus aucun territoire, même si le gouvernement reconnaît que les attentats et les attaques devraient continuer.

Depuis que l'offensive régionale a été lancée le mois dernier, le Nigeria se targue de diriger les opérations.

Mais selon des témoins, des experts et les déclarations des autres forces armées, ce sont les troupes tchadiennes qui ont apporté une contribution décisive à l'opération. Ces dernières ont pénétré sur le territoire nigérian et chassé les islamistes de certaines régions de l'Etat de Borno.

Pour le gouvernement nigérian, l'offensive anti-Boko Haram doit permettre la tenue le 28 mars des élections présidentielle et législatives, déjà repoussées de six semaines, officiellement à cause des violences.

Mercredi, les Etats-Unis ont annoncé chercher à relancer un programme de formation de soldats nigérians, qui avait été arrêté en 2014 après une querelle sur la fourniture d'armes.

Les relations s'étaient tendues entre les deux pays après que l'ambassadeur du Nigeria à Washington avait affirmé que son gouvernement jugeait insuffisante l'aide américaine.

Des responsables américains et nigérians en sont au stade des discussions sur un éventuel nouveau programme, a précisé devant la presse l'ambassadeur américain au Nigeria, James Entwistle.

Les succès remportés par l'armée nigériane sur le terrain, qui n'ont pas pu tous êtres vérifiés, pourraient permettre à davantage de personnes de voter dans le nord-est du pays, région considérée comme favorable à l'opposition, aux prochaines élections.

Le Congrès progressiste (APC), principale formation de l'opposition, donnée au coude-à-coude pour la présidentielle avec le chef de l'Etat sortant Goodluck Jonathan, a menacé de contester la validité de l'élection si un nombre important d'habitants du nord-est ne peuvent pas voter.

Le chef de Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, a promis d'empêcher la tenue du scrutin par la violence, faisant craindre que les élections, très disputées et parfois sources de violences à motifs politiques, ne tournent au désastre.

Depuis 2009, l'insurrection islamiste et sa répression ont fait plus de 13.000 morts et 1,5 million de déplacés au Nigeria. Mais, pour M. Omeri, les derniers succès sur le terrain ont permis à certains d'entre eux de revenir chez eux pour reprendre leur vie normale.

Il n'y cependant eu aucune confirmation par des sources indépendantes de ces retours de déplacés.

Le Comité international de la Croix-Rouge s'est inquiété mardi d'une crise humanitaire généralisée dans la région du lac Tchad, où des centaines de milliers de déplacés ont fui.