18 March 2015 defenceWeb (Reuters)

Foreign private security personnel from South Africa, Russia and South Korea are on the ground in northeast Nigeria to train Nigerian troops and are not engaged in frontline combat against Boko Haram, the government said on Tuesday.

According to security and diplomatic sources, Nigeria has brought in hundreds of mercenaries to give its offensive against the Islamist militant group a shot in the arm ahead of the March 28 presidential elections.

But government spokesman Mike Omeri said foreigners on the ground were only engaged in training Nigerian troops.

"There are trainers on the ground to assist in the handling of equipment," Omeri told Reuters on the sidelines of a news conference in London. "They simulate, they teach. These are the things they do."

Asked if they were directly involved in fighting, he said: "I am not aware of that."

Africa's most populous nation and top energy producer has been plagued by the Boko Haram insurgency since 2009, when insurgents intensified efforts to establish an Islamic caliphate in the northeastern Borno state.

However, this year Nigeria and its neighbours have launched a series of offensives to recapture territory, turning the tide against Boko Haram in the run-up to the hotly contested presidential poll.

Omeri would not confirm how many foreigners were involved but said they had come from the same countries that had provided military equipment. He cited South Africa, Russia and South Korea.

"Acquisition of recruitment and military hardware is done through a number of processes. There are government-to-government exchanges and there are those who also come through contractors," he said.

The contractors' stay in Nigeria would end when local troops had become proficient at handling the equipment, he added.

"This is training on site and maybe this is why the people on the ground have been described as mercenaries."

He declined to predict how long it would take for the military to regain full control.

"We have started the final onslaught," he said. "This is the road to the finish and we are on it already."

PARIS, 17 mars  Challenges.fr (Reuters)

La France va mettre en place un détachement de liaison et de contact au Cameroun en soutien à la lutte régionale menée contre le groupe islamiste Boko Haram, a-t-on appris mardi auprès de l'état-major des armées françaises.

"Un détachement de liaison et de contact va être mis en place au Cameroun", a dit à Reuters le porte-parole de l'état-major, le colonel Gilles Jaron, qui n'a pas souhaité donner plus de détails. "Nous sommes dans une logique de soutien, nous ne sommes pas dans une logique d'intervention militaire armée" au Nigeria, a-t-il rappelé.

Ce détachement s'ajoute à celui mis en place fin janvier à Diffa, dans le sud du Niger, qui compte une quinzaine de militaires français chargés de faire remonter du renseignement vers la cellule de coordination et de liaison (CCL) basée à N'Djamena depuis décembre.

La France, présente dans la bande sahélo-saharienne via son dispositif antiterroriste Barkhane qui mobilise plus de 3.000 hommes, exclut pour l'heure toute intervention directe dans la lutte contre Boko Haram et se limite à un soutien aux pays de la région, notamment en terme de logistique et de renseignement.

Le ministre de la Défense Jean-Yves Le Drian a indiqué la semaine dernière que l'opération Barkhane allait être "légèrement" renforcée pour apporter un soutien et un accompagnement aux pays de la région du Lac Tchad.

Ce renforcement, dont ni le volume ni l'entrée en vigueur n'ont été précisés, sera effectif le temps que la force multinationale de 10.000 hommes, entérinée par l'Union africaine le 6 mars, entre en action, selon une source militaire française.

Cette force, à laquelle le Tchad, le Nigeria, le Cameroun et le Niger, ainsi que le Bénin, se sont d'ores et déjà engagés à fournir jusqu'à 8.700 soldats, doit encore être consolidée financièrement par le Conseil de sécurité de l'Onu.

La France, qui assure la présidence du Conseil de sécurité en mars, espère l'adoption d'une résolution fin mars-début avril sur ce sujet, selon une source diplomatique française. (Marine Pennetier, édité par Yves Clarisse)

12 mars 2015 par Laurent Marchand – Tout un monde

A l’ère de la communication globalisée, le phénomène terroriste suscite une étrange impression. On a beau détourner le regard, le message des terroristes islamistes nous parvient. Malgré nous. Même sans les voir, nous avons tous en tête les égorgements d’otages, les décapitations solennelles, les enfants bondés d’explosifs sacrifiés sur un attentat. Ou encore cet enfant transformé en bourreau abattant hier un arabe israélien. L’effroi, l’objectif premier des terroristes, nous contamine.

Et pour cause, la spectacularisation de la violence fait partie de la stratégie même de ces groupes. Ils mêlent sciemment le maniement du sabre et la maîtrise d’internet. Ils jouent délibérément sur des cordes ancestrales, en convoquant le sacré pour justifier des crimes de sang, tout en ayant recours à des procédures modernes et des studios de production de messages vidéo.

       Dans ce registre, Daech, l’Etat islamique impressionne particulièrement. Sa stratégie est elle-même duale. Elle consiste à conquérir simultanément des territoires de proximité  par les armes et des adeptes éloignés par internet. Pour nourrir leur légion étrangère de combattants. Pour rallier des groupes islamistes partageant leurs visées.

       Ainsi, depuis juin dernier, plusieurs groupes ont fait allégeance au « calife » al-Bagdadi, le maître de Daech. En Egypte, en Libye. Et depuis quelques jours, au Nigéria. Le ralliement de Boko Haram, un mouvement qui depuis près de quinze ans sème la violence dans le Nord du Nigéria,  marque une étape importante.

       Car de l’Algérie à la Somalie, un arc de crise s’étire du cœur de l’Afrique. Dans des territoires immenses et économiquement déprimés. Si Daech fédère, dans cet espace, plusieurs groupes terroristes, comme on peut le craindre à présent au nord-Mali, la menace qu’il représente va changer de nature et monter d’un cran.

    Daech n’est pas invincible

       La création par la France l’an dernier du dispositif « Barkhane » était censée, justement, répondre par une approche régionale à la menace islamiste qui avait justifiée l’intervention au Mali. Si la marque Daech se répand en Afrique, c’est cette stratégie qu’il faudra renforcer. C'est le sens de l'annonce faite hier par le ministre de la défense, Jean-Yves Le Drian, d'une légère augmentation du nombre d'hommes impliqués dans le dispositif.

       La collaboration du Tchad, du Niger et du Cameroun contre les combattants de Boko Haram, en territoire nigérian, commence à donner ses fruits. Paris, qui préside pour un mois le Conseil de Sécurité, s’active beaucoup aux Nations Unies pour que la force régionale en phase de constitution soit davantage soutenue. Par les pays africains eux-mêmes. Et par les autres puissances occidentales.

       Jusqu’ici, Washington et Londres (un peu disparue des radars géostratégiques) ont surtout concentré leur attention sur la Corne de l’Afrique. Les Etats-Unis ont laissé volontiers la France agir seule  au Sahel. Considérant que le danger était pour eux de faible intensité et que c’était à l’Europe de gérer le chaos Libyen.

       Le Nigéria, toutefois, est un colosse. Démographique et pétrolier. Si Daech devait y prendre pied, les efforts régionaux ne suffiront pas. Et la France est déjà au maximum de ses possibilités. Avec plus de 8 000 hommes engagés à l’étranger et 10 000 mobilisés dans l’Hexagone.

       Daech n’est pas invincible comme le montre la prise hier de Tikrit, en Irak. La lutte contre ce monstre à mille têtes sera longue, certes, mais il faut renverser les armes. Ne pas se faire aveugler par la propagande, et traquer pas à pas ses bases au sol.

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.

10 March 2015 by Africom - defenseWeb

The annual Flintlock exercise wrapped up on Monday in N’Djamena with a closing ceremony that brought together senior leaders from over 20 participating countries.

The Chadian exercise director, Brig. Gen. Zakaria Ngobongue, when bidding farewell to the guests and participants from different African and Western partner nations, who trained tirelessly in Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon and Tunisia, thanked the troops for their professionalism. “I am pleased to note that the progress made during this exercise was tangible and these results were reached thanks to willing participants.”

Ngonbongue thanked partner nations for the quality medical and humanitarian assistance that benefited citizens in locations near Mao, Faya and Moussoro. Similar medical activities were also conducted in Agadez, Niger.

The closing ceremony of the Flintlock exercise was also attended by the Commanding General of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), Gen. David Rodriguez, who thanked Chad for being a great host to this year’s Flintlock despite the security challenges the country faces.

“It is important to recognize that exercise Flintlock 2015 was successfully conducted by Chad and other African partners while actively engaged in combat operations against Boko Haram. The capacity to execute real world operations while simultaneously training to increase capacity and capability, demonstrates a level of proficiency exhibited only by an extremely professional, capable, and disciplined military,” said Rodriguez during the closing ceremony.

This year’s exercise was the largest Flintlock to date and has continued to build on the success of previous exercises. The three-week Chad hosted event included the implementation of a collaborative Command and Control and information sharing systems, which will remain in place for African partners to share operational information and intelligence with each other, as well as international partners.

Over 1,000 personnel from over 20 countries participated in Flintlock ‘15, with locations in Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon and Tunisia. Ten flight crews from Belgium, the United States, Canada, Spain, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, The Netherlands, Italy, and the United Kingdom moved most of the troops and 500,000 pounds of cargo with 113 flights. In all the locations, each soldier received 150 hours of training.

They also conducted four community activities, met with key leaders, and treated 1,800 people in several medical assistance clinics. Chadian and U.S. military, as well as U.S. Embassy personnel, also conducted outreach to an orphanage in N’Djamena, supporting victims of war, HIV, and poverty. With the support of non-governmental organization Spirit of America, $4,500 of educational supplies, hygiene tools, and basic items like blankets, sheets, towels, and mosquito nets were given to 59 orphans.

The tactical portion of Flintlock 2015 consisted of small-unit combined training and activities involving partner nation counter-terrorism units and military humanitarian relief operations to help improve the basic medical, dental and veterinary access for some communities in Chad and Niger.

As an enduring exercise, Flintlock is not focused on any specific security situation, but instead on developing security capacity, building professionalism, and strengthening bonds among exercise participants. Flintlock exercises began in 2005 and are conducted by the Special Operations Command Forward – West Africa (SOCFWD-WA) and sponsored by Africa Command’s Special Operations component to develop the capacity of and collaboration among African security forces to protect civilian populations across the Sahel region of Africa.

Flintlock exercises strengthen security institutions, promote multilateral sharing of information, and develop interoperability among the partner nations of the Trans-Sahara Counter Terrorism Partnership (TSCTP). Through exercises such as Flintlock, the United States Special Operations Command provides military training opportunities to foster relationships of peace, security, and cooperation among all Trans-Saharan nations through the TSCTP program.

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.

7 mars 2015 par Nicolas Laffont - 45eNord.ca   

Le groupe islamiste nigérian Boko Haram a prêté allégeance au groupe armé État islamique (EI) qui contrôle depuis l’été dernier de vastes territoires en Irak et en Syrie.

Dans un message audio d’un peu plus de huit minutes, le chef de la secte islamiste Boho Haram déclare: «De votre frère [Abubakar Shekau] au Calife des Musulmans Abou Bakr al-Baghdadi,  nous vous annonçons l’obéissance à la parole d’Allah le Très Haut», commence ainsi le chef de Boko Haram, précisant ensuite prêter «allégeance au calife […] que nous écouterons et auquel nous obéirons dans la facilité et la difficulté, dans ce qui nous plaît et nous déplaît […] et de ne pas disputer le pouvoir a ses détenteurs sauf si nous voyons une mécréance claire…», indique encore Abubakar Shekau.

Les militants de l’Etat islamique (EI) appellent depuis plusieurs mois tous les musulmans à se joindre à eux et à prêter allégeance à leur calife Abou Bakr al Baghdadi.

Si cette allégeance n’est pas une surprise, elle représente toutefois le ralliement le plus important à l’EI depuis la proclamation de leur «Califat» en juin dernier.

En plus d’être présent en Irak et en Syrie, l’EI peut donc compter sur trois branches importantes: dans le Sinaï avec le groupe Ansar Beït al-Maqdess, en Libye et au Nigéria.

03 March 2015 defenceWeb (Reuters)

When battle-hardened Chadian troops overran a Boko Haram camp in northern Nigeria last week, they wanted to press deep into territory controlled by the Islamist group but Nigeria refused to let them.

Having defeated al Qaeda in Mali two years ago, Chad's military believes it could could finish off Boko Haram alone. It has notched up victories that have pushed the Nigerian militants back from the Cameroonian border.

But with presidential elections this month, Nigeria is keen to press ahead with its own military campaign against Boko Haram, aiming to push it out of major towns before the March 28 ballot.

In a country proud to be a major African power, it would be an embarrassment to President Goodluck Jonathan as he seeks reelection for a smaller nation to tackle Nigeria's security problems, diplomats say.

In their forward base in the town of Gambaru on the Nigeria-Cameroon border, Chadian soldiers displayed dozens of guns seized from Boko Haram and a burnt-out armoured vehicle painted with black and white Arabic script.

"We turned back because Nigeria did not authorise us to go any further," army spokesman Colonel Azem Bermandoa said.

Nigeria's spokesman for operations in the northeast, Mike Omeri, said cooperation between Chadian and Nigerian forces has brought some major military successes and any issues would be resolved via existing command structures.

But the Chadians say there have been no joint operations between the two forces. Chad's offer to join a Nigerian offensive to capture Baga, site of one of Boko Haram's worst atrocities in January, was rebuffed, Bermandoa said.

Officials from Chad, Niger and Cameroon say lack of cooperation from Nigeria has for months hampered efforts to put together a regional taskforce against Boko Haram. Chad was compelled to take unilateral action in January, under a deal that allows it to pursue terrorists into Nigeria, after Boko Haram violence started to choke off imports to its economy.

With Niger and Cameroon deploying thousands of troops on their borders, blocking escape routes for Boko Haram, the tide may be turning. In what Nigeria has branded a sign of desperation, the Islamist group has carried out wave of suicide attacks and threatened to disrupt the election.

Francois Conradie, analyst with South African-based NKC Research, said that if the current offensive can be sustained, Boko Haram could quickly be driven out of the remaining towns it holds. It would, however, remain a deadly rural guerrilla force.

“All of this is good news for stability and will probably be to Mr Jonathan’s electoral advantage,” he said.

OPPOSITION CRITICISES RELIANCE ON CHAD

Many in Nigeria ask why it took so long to act. Boko Haram killed thousands last year and kidnapped many more in its six-year campaign for an Islamist emirate in Africa's largest oil producer.

Niger, Cameroon and Chad say Nigeria neglected the uprising in its economically backward northeast, an opposition stronghold. Borno state is home to two percent of Nigeria's 170 million people.

But in recent months, Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler who is running as the presidential candidate for the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), has gained popularity with voters desperate for tough policies both on corruption and Boko Haram.

Amid pressure from the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria's electoral commission announced a six week postponement to the Feb. 14 election, to allow the army to tackle the security situation in the northeast so voting could go ahead there.

Ernst Hogendoorn, Crisis Group's Africa deputy programme director, said the government appeared to have engineered the delay in the hope the APC would slip up or the military could boost Jonathan by defeating Boko Haram.

"Boko Haram has certainly suffered a strategic setback ... Clearly this improves Goodluck Jonathan's chances somewhat," said Hogendoorn. "The question is do any of these forces have the ability to maintain this tempo, particularly the Chadians and to a lesser degree the Nigerians?"

With Chad already squeezed by a slump in the price of oil, its main export, the government says it can only sustain the offensive in Nigeria for a short time, diplomats say.

Buhari, however, has already criticised Jonathan for relying on Chad to push back Boko Haram, saying his government would tackle the problem alone. Many in the military and the government are keen to limit foreign involvement on Nigerian soil, diplomats say.

When Chadian forces last month entered the town of Dikwa, they were told to leave by Nigeria's military, which said it was planning air strikes, Bermondoa said.

After Nigeria's army retook Baga last month, Army Chief Major General Kenneth Minimah said his soldiers would recapture a handful of remaining towns before the elections, listing Dikwa as one of them. “The war is almost ended," he said.

TENSIONS HAMPER REGIONAL FORCE

Boko Haram was long regarded by neighbouring countries as an internal Nigerian problem, but attacks in Cameroon and Niger last year prompted the regional response. Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Benin and Cameroon agreed in May to join forces against the militants.

Since then, however, distrust and misunderstandings have stymied preparations for the force, due to take effect by the end of this month. Nigeria initially sent low-level representatives to planning meetings, angering its allies.

Cooperation between Cameroon and Nigeria has been dogged by long-running border tensions, while Niger accused Nigerian troops of cowardice.

"Nigeria must get involved and honour its promise of providing between 2,500 and 3,000 to the multinational force," said Cameroon's defence spokesman Colonel Didier Badjeck.

Cameroon has stepped up its activities since July, when Boko Haram attacked Kolotafa, the hometown of its deputy prime minister, killing dozens and kidnapping his wife.

The government has boosted its security forces in northern Cameroon from 700 to around 7,000.

"We have to do whatever it takes to make sure the sect does not occupy any town in Cameroon," said Colonel Joseph Nouma, in charge of Operation Alpha, the mission against Boko Haram.

However, Nouma said he has orders not to enter Nigeria, and Cameroon has denied Nigerian troops the right to pursue insurgents into Cameroon.

Along its 400 km (250 miles) border with Nigeria, Cameroon has created 14 new bases, with heavy artillery batteries. It has also deployed surveillance drones, a senior intelligence officer said.

Another senior Cameroon military figure said they were attempting to choke off Boko Haram's revenues, including the trade in fuel with Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

"All of this looks to be paying off," the officer said, with no incursions since mid-February.

25 February 2015 By Tomi Oladipo BBC Africa security correspondent

Military chiefs from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Benin and Niger are finalising their strategy for a 8,750-strong regional force to tackle the militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

In the last few weeks, the Multinational Joint Task Force has retaken several towns captured by the militants in north-eastern Nigeria. Now, the regional chiefs are preparing for a major ground and air offensive due to start next month - and are meeting in Chad this week to set out the command structure. The force will be led by a Nigerian commander, after which the position will rotate among the members.

Read more

20 February 2015 defenceWeb (Reuters)

Nigerian warplanes bombarded training camps and caches of weapons and vehicles belonging to the Islamist group Boko Haram in the northeasterly Samibisa forest on Thursday, the military said.

"The death of a large number of terrorists has been recorded while many others are also scampering all over the forest and out of the struck bases," defence spokesman Major-General Chris Olukolade said.

After a year in which Boko Haram seemed to be gaining ground, seizing swathes of territory, killing thousands of people and kidnapping hundreds of mostly women and children, the tide has appeared to turn against them in the past month, as neighbouring countries plagued by cross-border attacks have weighed in.

Nigerian forces have killed more than 300 Boko Haram fighters during an operation to recapture 11 towns and villages since the start of the week, the military said on Wednesday, though it was not possible to independently verify this and the military has in the past been accused of exaggerating enemy casualties while understating its own.

Samibisa gained notoriety last year when more than 200 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram from a secondary school in nearby Chibok were taken there. Some of them escaped Samibisa shortly afterwards but most have remained in captivity ever since.

Aerial surveillance of the forest has not revealed their whereabouts.

11 February 2015 by ISS

Recent years have seen an important shift in how security is prioritised, with an emphasis on threats in cyberspace. Last year, the Sony Corporation hack drew attention worldwide, challenging perceptions of state governance and security in cyberspace.

The estimated financial cost of cybercrime worldwide exceeds US$445 billion annually. For individuals, the loss of private and sensitive information is particularly concerning, and a recent poll in the United States (US) shows that Americans fear breaches in cyber security more than any other ‘traditional’ crimes.

Africa has not been immune to increased cybercrime either, with countries such as Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa fast becoming hubs of cybercrime activity.

Read more

9/2/2015 EU source: Council Ref: CL15-020EN

1. The Boko Haram terrorist actions in north-eastern Nigeria are becoming a growing threat not only for the peace and security of Nigeria but to the whole region including Cameroon, Chad and Niger. The Council stresses the importance of an urgent, comprehensive response to the insurgency, to prevent further terrorist and criminal acts perpetrated by Boko Haram, including stronger governance and economic development.

2. Recalling the European Union's (EU) Statement of 19 January 2015 and its Conclusions of 12 May 2014, the Council condemns the continuing violence and appalling atrocities committed by Boko Haram on civilians, including women and children. It expresses its sincere condolences to the people and governments of countries affected. The perpetrators of these gross violations of international humanitarian law, human rights and dignity must be held to account. The international community cannot rest while such outrages are being committed and stands united against such acts of cruelty.

3. The Council is particularly concerned about the humanitarian consequences of the attacks and their impact on Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger and recalls the primary responsibility of States to protect civilians on their territory in accordance with the obligations under international law. Thousands have been killed. Over one and a half million people have been displaced within Nigeria and hundreds of thousands to neighbouring countries. Families have been separated, girls abducted, children orphaned and women and girls sexually abused. The EU pledges to continue providing immediate relief to those in need and to increase its efforts at regional level. It commends the work of humanitarian agencies in delivering such relief and encourages them to scale-up their presence. At the same time, the Council underlines the need of the Nigerian government to increase the response to the urgent humanitarian crisis caused by the Boko Haram insurgency and recalls the EU's readiness to assist. International humanitarian efforts should be appropriately coordinated by the United Nations (UN) in order to enhance delivery capacity and prevent the refugee crisis from escalating out of control.

4. The scale of the Boko Haram extremist threat requires a Nigerian, as well as a collective and comprehensive response to defeat terrorism in full respect of human rights. The European Union notes that the responsibility to address the immediate security challenges lies primarily with the countries most affected, and calls upon them to urgently intensify their cooperation and coordination. In this respect, it commends the Chadian army's recent assistance to the Cameroonian forces already engaged in the fight against Boko Haram. The Council welcomes and supports the decision of the States in the region, endorsed by the African Union (AU), to deploy a multinational force, to be endorsed by the UN Security Council, once the concept of operations is finalised. In this regard it salutes the AU preparatory meeting that was held in Yaoundé from 5 to 7 February. It also welcomes actions already undertaken under the aegis of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, following high-level security conferences held in Paris, London, Abuja and Niamey since May 2014.

5. The EU stands ready with its partners - the UN, the AU, regional organisations, the individual States concerned as well as the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF) - to provide support to the region with its full range of instruments, including the possibility of recourse to the African Peace Facility and EU crisis management tools. The EU will also look at ways to help the countries concerned strengthen their own capacities to handle the challenge, including the root causes of the radicalisation and violence, whilst encouraging intergovernmental cooperation amongst them. The Council emphasises that the crisis can only be overcome when all forces concerned abide by international humanitarian law, human rights and refugee law and practices in support of the communities they are tasked to protect.

6. At the same time, the Council reaffirms its determination to assist Nigeria at the national and local level as well as other countries affected in their efforts to promote the sustainable economic development of the Lake Chad region, fight corruption, provide the social and educational needs of its population and meet up with the aspirations of their young people.

7. The Council invites the HR and the Commission to take forward appropriate actions and propose necessary decisions, notably on the basis of a Political Framework for Crisis Approach (PFCA), including an assessment of the needs of the countries affected by the menace of Boko Haram. The PFCA should include a gender perspective. The Council will remain closely involved in this issue and will revert when necessary.

09 February 2015 defenceWeb (Reuters)

The Islamist militant group, Boko Haram, which is fighting a violent insurgency in northeast Nigeria, has about 4,000-6,000 "hardcore" fighters, U.S. intelligence officials said on Friday.

In an assessment of the group, whose five-year uprising has included massacres and kidnappings and spread from Nigeria into neighbouring states, the officials said they did not believe it posed a major threat to Nigeria's oilfields in the south.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the militants were believed to be still holding about 300 schoolgirls they kidnapped early last year and had dispersed them to multiple locations.

Around 10,000 people were killed in Boko Haram attacks last year. The Sunni Muslim group poses the biggest security threat in Nigeria, Africa's top oil producer and biggest economy.

Concern over the insurgency appears to be and one of the main reasons for what appears to be a surge in political support for opposition leader Muhammadu Buhari in a Feb. 14 election.

Many Nigerians believe Buhari, as a former military ruler, will be able to bolster the army's hapless efforts to counter the insurgency, and that as a Muslim he may even be able to take some of the wind out of Boko Haram's ideological sails.

The officials said the militants had been engaging in both small-scale and larger attacks in recent weeks and they expected this mixed pattern of operations to continue during the election period.

The U.S. intelligence officials said the Nigerian military forces were stretched thin in fighting the insurgents, as well as by their involvement in international peacekeeping forces.

But military forces in neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger, where Boko Haram had spread its attacks, were taking an increasing active role in combating the group.

One official said: "It remains to be seen how much tactical prowess (Boko Haram) have" in fighting regular military forces.

Sources in the region say Chad and Cameroon are deploying thousands of troops and Niger has reinforced its border against the militant group, but they face an uphill battle against a group which has rebuffed offensives by the Nigerian military.

The officials said over the last year Boko Haram had established a "safe haven" in territory it controlled, which included 30 or more towns and villages.

The group, which says it wants to establish an Islamic state, has produced videos praising the Islamic State militants who have taken over parts of Iraq and Syria.

But one of the U.S. officials said there was "no known tactical cooperation or leadership contact between the two groups."