September 7, 2015:  Strategy Page

The military continues to chase down remaining Boko Haram groups in the northeast, especially northern Borno State and its huge Sambisa Forest. The northeast in general is a thinly populated area with many places to hide. Aerial reconnaissance has proved to be a key tool in finding Boko Haram, along with tips from civilians (often local self-defense groups). For example air force bombers recently hit a Boko Haram camp that was using solar panels (seen from the air) for electricity. Boko Haram is at a disadvantage here because they need electricity to keep their communications working. Batteries alone will not get it done and any electricity producing device (generators, solar panels) are easy to spot (especially when using heat sensors) from the air. The military prefers air strikes because getting ground troops to a remote site can take hours and the element of surprise is lost. Moreover the Islamic terrorists are using more landmines and booby traps around their camps, even the temporary ones. These kill troops every week and will be a long term problem in these remote areas as civilians hunt and forage in these areas. 

Several large (often over a hundred gunmen) Boko Haram groups have become, in effect, nomads. They are constantly on the move, staying in one place a few days and moving on. They live by raiding and looting and the army keeps chasing after them, occasionally catching up. That results in a brief battle as the Islamic terrorists flee, scattering if need be. These groups still try to occupy towns and use the place as a base but that is getting more difficult because the military regularly patrols remote towns and villages to make sure the Islamic terrorists have not shown up and taken over.

Since 2009 Boko Haram violence has left nearly 20,000 dead mainly in three majority Moslem states in the northeast. A thousand of those deaths have occurred in the hundred days since president Buhari (who said he would crush Boko Haram) took power. Accompanying those deaths have been at least 75,000 new refugees forced to flee their homes. Over two million Nigerians have been driven from their homes by the violence so far and over 50,000 have fled to neighboring countries. Boko Haram has tried using neighboring countries for more secure bases but Boko Haram violence there has caused over 100,000 people in Niger, Chad and Cameroon to flee their homes and that triggered a very violent and largely effective counter-terrorism effort. 

President Buhari, being a retired army officer, ordered a number of military reforms as soon as he took office four months ago. One of these involved the punishment given out to thousands of soldiers who “mutinied” in 2014 in response to the corruption and incompetence of many officers. Buhari ordered the review of 5,000 trials (courts martial) of soldiers in late 2014 and early 2015 that resulted in the accused being dismissed from the military. As suspected some 60 percent of these prosecutions involved soldiers protesting bad leadership. These soldiers had their convictions reversed and were offered the jobs back. Most appear of have accepted and rejoined the army.

In the south the navy has been ordered to respond more quickly to complaints of oil pollution caused by gangs that steal and refine oi. For decades gangs have punched holes into pipelines and gathered oil for use in crude illegal refineries that produce low grade kerosene. This has become more popular and the process causes a lot of pollution for people living in the Niger River Delta. The hole punched in the pipeline to take oil ends up letting more oil into the water. The refining process puts more pollutants into the waterways. In response to the order from the new president the navy has increased the use of air patrols and quick reaction teams. When a crude (and portable) refinery is spotted the nearest quick reaction force is alerted, given the GPS coordinates and speeds to the refinery (via thousands of kilometers of waterways in the Delta) before it can be moved. Oil companies believe over 100,000 barrels of oil a day are being stolen by thieves who tap into oil pipelines. That’s several billion dollars a year in lost oil revenue. In the past much of what the government did receive from oil production was stolen by politicians and civil servants. While many people in the Delta only get benefit from all the oil via oil thieves (who hire locals and spend a lot of the cash locally), far more Delta residents suffer from the pollution and generally lawless behavior of all those gangs.

The impact of some new anti-corruption measures are still unclear. Such is the case with the traditional influence of senior state officials in the appointment of the federal cabinet ministers. In the past this was how a new president developed widespread support at the state level. Buhari, as promised, is doing it differently and apparently ignoring the candidates favored by state officials. While this will produce less corrupt federal officials it will also antagonize elected officials and political party leaders in the states. This could get ugly, even though most states have considerable popular support for eliminating corruption.

Buhari still remains very popular, in large part because he has quickly produced some results that everyone can experience. Since taking office a hundred days ago electricity production has nearly doubled. Buhari did this by quickly eliminating corrupt practices (and officials) who were crippling efforts to eliminate chronic and growing electricity shortages (which provided many lucrative opportunities for corrupt officials and businesses). Keeping it up will prove more difficult as the corruption is extensive and a lot of very powerful people are determined to preserve their illegal privileges. As far as the corrupt crowd are concerned Buhari has won a few battles at the beginning of a long war.

September 4, 2015: In the northeast (Borno) a Boko Haram suicide bomber attacked a rural market and killed thirty people. This happened in Gwoza, a town the army had recently chased Boko Haram out of.

September 1, 2015: In the northeast (Borno State) Boko Haram attacked two villages and left at least 26 dead. The Islamic terrorists were seeking supplies and this is how they go about it. Across the Borno State border in Cameroon two Boko Haram suicide bombers (apparently female) attacked a crowded market and killed at least twenty people. Meanwhile Cameroon has forced some 12,000 Nigerian refugees to return home. This is a process begun in July. In part this is because Boko Haram has supporters (not all of them voluntary) among the refugees and these refugees assist Boko Haram in carrying out terror attacks in Cameroon.

August 31, 2015: In the northeast (Borno) a group of Boko Haram gunmen on horseback killed about 80 civilians over the weekend while raiding three villages.

August 29, 2015: In the northeast (Borno) troops found and seized a Boko Haram bomb making workshop. Also taken were two well-known and wanted Boko Haram leaders. In neighboring Chad ten Boko Haram men were executed by firing squad a day after they were convicted of carrying out an attack that killed 38 people in the Chad capital. This is to send a warning to Boko Haram that operating in Chad is very dangerous. Many Boko Haram appear to have figured that out already and fewer of these Islamic terrorists are being encountered inside Chad.

August 26, 2015: In the northeast (Borno) two Boko Haram suicide bombers attacked a checkpoint outside the state capital (Maiduguri). One soldier died, along with the two suicide bombers. Further north in Borno two Boko Haram suicide bombers attacked an army camp just across the border in Chad. The attack failed to harm any of the soldiers. Chad has been working hard to shot down Boko Haram operations along the Nigeria border and to prevent Boko Haram from getting any further into Chad.

August 25, 2015: In the northeast (Borno) a Boko Haram group killed 28 people while raiding two villages. Elsewhere in the northeast (the Yobe State capital Damaturu) a Boko Haram suicide bomber (a 14 year old girl) was stopped at a check point where she detonated her explosives and killed six people. 

August 24, 2015: A part of the new anti-corruption campaign the president (a retired general) has ordered all military weapons purchases since 2007 to be reviewed and prosecutions started if any were found to be corrupt. Some certainly were because officers and soldiers have long complained about not being able to get needed weapons or ammo of finding the stuff they were given defective. The previous president was unhappy with the American refusal to provide high tech weapons because of the corruption in the Nigerian military. The new president wants to eliminate that problem and prosecuting past misbehavior will discourage more such bad behavior.

August 23, 2015: In the northeast (Borno) Boko Haram ambushed an army convoy that included the army chief-of-staff. One soldier was killed along with ten Islamic terrorists. Another five Boko Haram gunmen were captured.

August 22, 2015: Senior military officers from Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin met in Chad and made the final arrangements for the new force of 8,700 troops that is being assembled for another major international operation against Boko Haram. The neighboring countries want to end the Islamic terrorist threat coming out of Nigeria and this coalition force has been expanded (with 800 troops from Benin) since it first went into action earlier in the year. The new force is supposed to go into action by the end of September.

August 21, 2015: President Buhari suspended the head of the immigration department after it was discovered that a wanted (by Lebanon) Sunni Islamic terrorist cleric (Ahmad al Assir) had been issued a Nigerian visa. This was discovered when the cleric was arrested in Lebanon on the 15th while trying to fly to Nigeria on a fake Palestinian passport containing a valid Nigerian visa. It is suspected that some corrupt immigration officials have been selling a lot of visas to criminals.

August 19, 2015: Nigeria arrested another 22 suspected Boko Haram members among the 12,000 Nigerian refugees being sent back by Cameroon. It was not disclosed how many Boko Haram members have been found so far among these refugees.

28-07-2015 Par RFI

L’armée tchadienne a affronté lundi 27 juillet des éléments de Boko Haram près de la ville de Baga Sola sur la rive nord du Lac Tchad. Un affrontement qui ressemble à une grande contre-offensive de l’armée tchadienne contre les islamistes, qui attaquent depuis samedi plusieurs îles du Lac Tchad.

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29.06.2015 BBC Afrique

Le ministre de la sécurité publique du Tchad a déclaré que le cerveau présumé de Boko Haram dans le nord du Cameroun et au Tchad a été arrêté dimanche.

Ces déclarations d’Abderahim Birémé Hamid font suite à la mort lundi dans une explosion de 5 policiers et de 6 membres de la secte nigériane.

Ils ont été tués au cours d'une opération menée par les forces de sécurité dans une concession où une fabrique d'explosifs artisanaux a été retrouvée.

De nombreux explosifs ont été découverts sur les lieux et certains ont été actionnes par les djihadistes présumés.

De sources officielles, l'armée avait appris qu'une autre attaque de Boko Haram à N'Djamena était en cours de préparation.

Le parquet de N'Djamena a annoncé dimanche le démantèlement d’une cellule active d’un réseau terroriste et l'arrestation d'une soixantaine de personnes" dans le cadre de l'enquête.

Le 15 juin, deux attaques simultanées contre le commissariat central et l'école de police de N'Djamena avaient fait au moins 38 morts et une centaine de blessés.

L'armée tchadienne est en première ligne dans la lutte contre Boko Haram.

Une opération militaire régionale a été lancée conjointement par le Nigeria, le Tchad, le Niger et le Cameroun depuis le début de l'année contre le groupe radical islamiste.

04-06-2015 Par RFI

Le président nigérian est en visite chez ses voisins impliqués dans la lutte contre Boko Haram. Après le Niger, mercredi, Muhammadu Buhari est attendu ce jeudi au Tchad. Avec le Cameroun, ces deux pays sont engagés militairement contre le groupe islamiste.

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03 June 2015 defenceWeb (Reuters)

A multinational force being set up to combat Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamist insurgency in the Lake Chad region will be operational in the coming weeks, Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou said on Tuesday.

Approved in March by the African Union, the 8,700-strong force drawn from the Lake Chad countries of Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon as well as Benin, will be financed partly by the international community.

"We have discussed the situation on our southern side with Boko Haram rampaging in the Lake Chad zone," Issoufou told reporters outside the Elysee Palace in Paris after a meeting with French President Francois Hollande.

"We think that in the coming weeks, with the new administration settling into place in Nigeria, we are going to be able to launch the mixed multinational force, to which all of the countries of the Lake Chad basin contribute," he added.

As he spoke, sources in Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri reported that a bomb blast hit a busy market there on Tuesday, killing as many as 50 people.

An Elysee statement said Hollande told Issoufou that France would "continue its logistical support and intelligence to the countries neighbouring Lake Chad" to combat the group thought to have killed thousands of people in its quest to create a caliphate in Nigeria's remote north-east.

The new president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, the first to take power in a democratic handover in the history of the country, promised to eradicate Boko Haram in an inaugural address last week

26 mars 2015 Romandie.com (AFP)

Niamey - Les armées du Tchad et du Niger poursuivent leur offensive contre Boko Haram dans le nord-est du Nigeria, fief des insurgés islamistes, où elles ont repris la ville de Gachagar, a indiqué jeudi à l'AFP le ministre de la Défense nigérien.

Nous avons pris Gachagar, une ville nigériane proche de la frontière avec le Niger, a déclaré le ministre Mahamadou Karidjo, qui a évoqué des bombardements aériens et terrestres menés ces derniers jours dans le nord-est du Nigeria par les armées tchadienne et nigérienne.

Nous nous dirigeons vers Malam Fatori, une autre ville nigériane frontalière avec le Niger, a poursuivi le ministre, qui a fait état de quelques accrochages avec les insurgés, sans évoquer d'éventuelles pertes humaines.

Selon l'armée nigérienne, des combattants de Boko Haram se sont repliés au sud de Malam Fatori, après plusieurs défaites successives au cours des dernières semaines. L'armée nigériane affirme à l'inverse que Malam Fatori est sous son contrôle.

Tchad et Niger mènent depuis le 8 mars une offensive terrestre et aérienne contre Boko Haram dans le nord-est du Nigeria, à partir du sud-est du Niger voisin.

Ils ont notamment repris Damasak. Située à une trentaine de kilomètres de la ville nigérienne de Diffa, la localité de Damasak avait été conquise par les islamistes nigérians fin novembre 2014.

Des bombardements aériens ciblés sont en cours depuis quelques jours contre des positions de Boko Haram en territoire nigérian, a déclaré jeudi à l'AFP un cadre de la municipalité de Diffa, capitale du sud-est du Niger, frontalière avec le Nigeria.

Selon un journaliste local, ces frappes sont menées depuis le début de la semaine sur les zones encore tenues par Boko Haram.

Ce (jeudi) matin, nous avons aperçu des avions militaires se diriger vers le Nigeria pour de probables bombardements, a-t-il affirmé.

Une source humanitaire a de son côté mentionné des mouvements de troupes nigéro-tchadiennes jeudi matin et des combats avec des combattants de Boko Haram.

Le groupe islamiste avait multiplié les conquêtes territoriales dans le nord-est du Nigeria courant 2014 mais a été mis à mal dans son fief par l'opération lancée début février par le Nigeria avec l'appui décisif des pays voisins, Tchad en tête.

17 March 2015 by Martin Ewi, Senior Researcher, Transnational Threats and International Crime Division, ISS Pretoria - defenceWeb

On 7 March, Abubakar Shekau – the leader of the feared Nigerian terrorist group, Boko Haram, opened a new page in the history of the group when he announced his allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed ‘caliph’ and leader of the Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIS or ISIL).

Al-Baghdadi’s acceptance of Shekau’s bay’ah, or pledge of allegiance, has formalised the alliance between two of the world’s most ruthless terrorist organisations. Boko Haram joins a growing number of extremist groups in Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia that have since the beginning of 2014 voluntarily given up their independence by proclaiming the supreme authority of ISIS. Shekau, however, is known for his uncompromising views, raising questions as to how he would respond to orders from al-Baghdadi.

The practice of giving bay’ah has become common among African terrorist groups and is often mistaken to be a sign of weakness or imminent demise. Many factors – including strategic, organisational, leadership and ideological reasons – may account for a group’s decision to pledge loyalty to another.

The Nigerian government has viewed the recent development as a sign that Boko Haram has been defeated as a result of intensified military reprisals, which would pave the way for the postponed elections to take place on 28 March.

Boko Haram is officially known as Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad, or People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad. Indeed the fight against the group has seen some solid achievements in recent weeks, including the liberation of territories that had fallen under their control in Nigeria and Cameroon. Boko Haram has also been resorting to increasingly desperate tactics, such as suicide bombings (often involving children and young girls), using livestock as shields and forced kidnappings for recruitment, which could be indicative of its declining popularity.

While it is true that some progress has been made in containing Boko Haram, it would be misleading to take Shekau’s pledge of allegiance to ISIS as a sign of defeat, as Boko Haram has continued to perpetrate deadly attacks. There were already hints of a future alliance with ISIS in June last year when Shekau congratulated al-Baghdadi and pledged support for his declaration of a ‘Caliphate’. At the time, Boko Haram was believed to be at its peak.

The group’s tactics have since become increasingly similar to those used by ISIS, as demonstrated by its excessive use of violence and its desire to establish an Islamic Caliphate through the conquering and controlling of territories, which was not previously part of the group’s practices. Boko Haram also began to practise brutal and dramatic public executions, which have become the hallmarks of ISIS.

This new alliance with ISIS not only confirms Shekau as an opportunist, but also as an unreliable partner. This is not the first time that Shekau has pledged allegiance to a foreign terrorist group. In 2011, Boko Haram officially joined the ranks of al-Qaeda-affiliated groups in an initiation that was completed with the August bombing of the United Nations Headquarters in Abuja, in which 23 people died and several others were injured.

Joining al-Qaeda also brought about a paradigm shift in the group’s philosophy and modus operandi – particularly in tactical terms. Boko Haram started carrying out al-Qaeda style simultaneous attacks and suicide bombings, kidnapping foreigners, threating the United States of America and other western countries, as well as participating in other jihadist operations – such as in northern Mali.

The merger can also be seen as a personal victory for Shekau, whose propensity for violence matches that of al-Baghdadi. For the past several years Boko Haram has been plagued by in fighting, essentially between the so-called ‘Yusufiyyas’ in the group – those who want to preserve the philosophy and doctrine of Boko Haram’s founder, Mohammed Yusuf – and Shekau hardliners. Yusufiyyas are believed to be less violent and pro al-Qaeda, while the pro-Shekau militants within the group are the most violent.

When Shekau began to show his open support for ISIS, along with an intention to create a Caliphate, the Yusufiyyas opposed him and distanced themselves from the doctrine. Khalid Al-Barnawi, one of the group’s leaders, decried it as Shekau’s ‘misguided adventurism,’ calling him ‘a clear enemy of the jihad.’ Since the pledge of allegiance, nothing else has been heard from the group and none of the group’s other leaders have come forward to oppose the merger.

As ISIS’ biggest partner in Africa, the alliance is likely to give Boko Haram a new continental influence. It could however, also alienate Boko Haram from its support bases in northern Nigeria and the region. Strategically, the new alliance will secure new funding, arms and foreign fighters from around the world for Boko Haram.

For ISIS, the alliance will facilitate its African expansion, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, and strengthen al-Baghdadi’s global legitimacy and influence. Boko Haram may also provide an important front for ISIS to attack countries taking part in Obama's international coalition, set up to ‘degrade and destroy’ the terror group.

The alliance does not augur well for the ongoing regional campaign to contain Boko Haram, as the Islamist sect could get more sophisticated, posing serious operational and tactical challenges to the African Union (AU)-approved multinational joint task force (MNJTF).

This underscores a need for greater coordination among the frontline countries, and for the rapid deployment of the envisaged 10 000 MNJTF troops to maximise recent gains and prevent foreign assistance to Boko Haram.

The Peace and Security Council of the AU may wish to consider a summit-level meeting to declare a no-fly zone for non-commercial and non-military aircraft in the region, and to request states to ensure that no military goods exported to Cameroon, Chad, Niger or Nigeria end up in the hands of Boko Haram.

The international community should also intensify non-military responses. These include community programmes and strong national criminal justice institutions to eliminate the culture of impunity, and ensure that the millions of Boko Haram victims get justice. In this light, the International Criminal Court should expedite the process of indicting those responsible for mass atrocities in northern Nigeria, including Boko Haram’s leaders.

17-03-2015 Par RFI

Boko Haram vient de perdre à nouveau une ville frontalière du Nigeria. La localité de Damasak, à une trentaine de kilomètres de la frontière du Niger, a été reprise par les forces nigéro-tchadiennes des mains du groupe armé. Devant la violence de la contre-attaque des armées tchadiennes et nigériennes, les éléments de Boko Haram ont fui, abandonnant une importante quantité d’armes.

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12 March 2015 defenceWeb (Reuters)

France is increasing its West African counter-insurgency force to support regional forces fighting Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Wednesday.

France has headquartered its more than 3,000-strong Sahel counter-insurgency force, Barkhane, in the Chadian capital N'Djamena, some 50 km (30 miles) from the Nigerian border.

Until now those troops have largely been tasked with tracking al Qaeda-linked militants spanning across the Sahara from Mauritania in the west and southern Libya in the east.

"We will slightly increase the numbers on Barkhane," Le Drian told reporters without giving specific details.

He said the troops would provide support to forces fighting around Lake Chad, where Boko Haram has in recent months increasingly threatened regional countries.

Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin have mobilised forces this year to help Nigeria defeat Boko Haram after it seized territory and staged cross-border attacks.

"We do not intend to take part in the fighting," Le Drian said.

Paris has, however, already sent about 40 military advisers to Niger's southern border with Nigeria to help coordinate military action by the regional powers fighting Boko Haram and has been operating reconnaissance missions near the Nigerian border and sharing intelligence.

It is expected to reduce its 2,000 strong contingent in Central African Republic to deploy more to Barkhane, defence and military sources have said.

France, which has the U.N. Security Council presidency in March, is also pushing for a resolution by early April that would back a 10,000-strong African force to fight Boko Haram, providing it crucial financing to carry out operations

12/03/2015 par Monseigneur Luc Ravel *, évêque aux Armées  - Figaro Vox Politique

A l'occasion d'une conférence de Carême, Mgr Ravel, évêque aux Armées, analyse les nombreux conflits qui embrasent la planète. Il y voit l'émergence d'un «guerre nouvelle à flambée religieuse».

* Diplômé de Polytechnique, de l'École nationale supérieure des pétroles et moteurs ainsi que d'une maitrise de philosophie, Monseigneur Ravel est évêque du Diocèse aux Armées Françaises depuis 2009.

10 March 2015 defenceWeb (Reuters)

About ten Chadian soldiers died in fighting to free two towns in northern Nigeria previously held by Boko Haram, the first gains against the militants made in a joint offensive launched with Niger at the weekend, military sources said on Monday.

About 30 Nigerien and Chadian soldiers were wounded in clashes over Malam Fatouri and Damasak, a day after thousands of troops crossed the border to retake areas held by the Sunni Islamist group, whose insurgency has forced Nigeria to delay an election and neighbours to mobilise their armies.

A Chadian officer, who asked not to be named, said about ten Chadian soldiers were killed and 20 wounded in fighting to liberate the towns. There was no official comment from Chad's army.

"We have kicked the enemy out of these areas and they are now under our control," one of the Niger military sources said.

Damasak, the town furthest into Nigeria, is 10 km (6 miles) south of the Niger border, where Niger and Chadian troops have been massing in recent weeks ahead of the offensive.

A medical source in Diffa, the capital of the Niger region which borders Boko Haram's heartland in Nigeria's northeast, said 30 wounded soldiers had been admitted to the town's hospital.

The Niger military source said about 300 Boko Haram militants had been killed. There was no official confirmation of the toll and it was not possible to verify the figure.

"We had permission from Nigeria for this action," the source said. There was no immediate comment from Nigeria, which has launched its own offensive against the militants, whose gains forced Nigeria to delay elections that were due in February.

Boko Haram's 6-year insurgency, who aims to carve out a caliphate in Nigeria's northeast, has killed thousands. The group has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, which rules a self-declared caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria, according to an audio clip posted online on Saturday.

Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin have this year mobilised forces to help Nigeria defeat the group after it seized swathes of territory and mounting cross-border attacks.

Nigeria and its neighbours have been working to pull together plans and rules of engagement for a regional force of 8,700 troops but cooperation between the region's armies has been strained at times.

9 mars 2015 45eNord.ca (AFP)

Les armées nigérienne et tchadienne, qui mènent depuis dimanche une offensive d’envergure dans le nord-est du Nigeria contre Boko Haram, ont repris la ville de Damasak, que les islamistes nigérians tenaient depuis novembre, a indiqué lundi une source sécuritaire tchadienne.

« L’offensive a permis de prendre le contrôle de Damasak », ville nigériane située à une centaine de kilomètres de la rive ouest du lac Tchad, a déclaré cette source.

Selon elle, quelque 200 combattants du groupe extrémiste ont été tués dimanche, pour 10 tués et 20 blessés parmi les soldats tchadiens.

« Damasak est reprise par la coalition après de violents combats », a confirmé un officiel nigérien à Diffa, capitale du Sud-Est nigérien située à une trentaine de kilomètres de Damasak.

Un haut responsable civil de Diffa a de son côté fait état de pertes humaines très élevées dans les rangs de Boko Haram.

Ni le gouvernement ni l’armée du Niger n’ont pour l’instant fait de déclarations sur cette prise importante.

Boko Haram s’était emparé de Damasak le 24 novembre dernier, tuant une cinquantaine de personnes et en poussant 3.000 autres à fuir, selon le Haut commissariat aux réfugiés de l’ONU.

Les combattants islamistes avaient infiltré la ville en se déguisant en marchands et en dissimulant leurs armes dans des cartons de marchandises. Les soldats nigérians s’étaient alors enfuis au Niger voisin avec une partie de la population, avait raconté un parlementaire nigérian à l’époque.

Les armées du Niger et du Tchad mènent depuis dimanche une vaste offensive terrestre et aérienne contre Boko Haram dans le nord-est du Nigeria, à partir du sud-est du Niger voisin.

La radio privée nigérienne Anfani, basée à Diffa, a dénombré « plus de 200 véhicules » militaires partis en convoi vers le Nigeria: « des tout-terrains équipés de mitrailleuses, des chars, des ambulances, des citernes d’eau et des camions de transport de logistique ».

Des milliers de soldats nigériens et tchadiens étaient positionnés depuis plus d’un mois en posture défensive dans la province nigérienne de Diffa, sous le feu de Boko Haram.

08-03-2015 Par RFI

Les armées du Tchad et du Niger ont lancé dimanche une offensive aérienne et terrestre d'envergure au Nigeria contre Boko Haram, au lendemain de l'annonce par le groupe islamiste de son « allégeance » au groupe Etat islamique.  Une offensive lancée ce dimanche depuis le sud-est du Niger.

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