16 January 2014 by Guy Martin - defenceWeb

The Nigerian government is planning to cut its defence budget after a decade of increases, but security continues to receive the most funding as the Boko Haram insurgency continues and the armed forces continue to expand.

Nigeria’s defence budget will drop from N364.2 billion ($2.3 billion) last year to N340.3 billion ($2.1 billion) in 2014 according to the Nigerian Budget Office – a 6.5% reduction in funding. Furthermore, the proposed budget drops defence from 12.1% of overall government spending to 7.8% between 2013 and 2014, according to IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly.

Under the proposed 2014 budget, the Nigerian Army will receive N132.7 billion ($830 million), the Navy N70.1 billion ($440 million) and the Air Force N73.2 billion ($460 million). Another N64.3 billion ($400 million) will be allocated across the board, including for missions and deployments.

The Nigerian Navy has been allocated N5.2 billion ($32 million) for the two new offshore patrol vessels being procured from China while the Nigerian Army was allocated N100 million ($600 000) for the ongoing production of armoured personnel carriers by the Nigerian Army Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (this almost certainly refers to the locally produced Igirigi). The Nigerian Air Force has been allocated N1.8 billion ($11.2 million) for the acquisition of six Mi-35M attack helicopters. In addition, N1.3 million ($8 000) has been allocated for the reactivation of L-39ZA jet trainers, many of which are grounded.

The Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) has been allocated N1.9 billion ($11.9 million) for 2014, including N450 million ($2.8 million) for the installation, procurement and operation of a new 7.62x39 mm ammunition production line as Nigeria seeks to grow its domestic defence industry.

In total, N845 billion ($5.29 billion) was provided for recurrent and service-wide votes for the security sector, including the armed forces (N306 billion/$1.92 billion), police (N286 billion/$1.79 billion), National Security Advisor’s office (N67 billion/$420 million) and paramilitary services. In total, the security cluster received the lion’s share of the national budget, followed by education.

Once approved, the 2014 defence budget will mark the first decrease in defence spending since around 2006, as between 2007 and 2013 Nigerian defence expenditure grew by 20.6%, according to IHS Jane’s, which points out the new budget will result in a 12.7% reduction of spending in real terms.

December 6, 2013: Strategy Page

Boko Haram may have been forced into the countryside, but they have not lost their ability to attack. Because of the growing number of soldiers, police and local volunteers in the northeast Boko Haram has adapted and they now attack whoever they can, which means most of their victims are civilians and Moslems. This indicates that Boko Haram now considers most of the civilian population hostile to them. The Islamic terrorists do try and concentrate their attacks against Christians and civilians known to support the volunteer anti-terrorist militias, but generally any civilian will do once the Boko Haram gunmen are out and about. In addition to raids on towns and villages, Boko Haram also likes to set up false military roadblocks (using uniforms stolen from living or dead soldiers and police) and murder any civilians who come along. Sometimes Moslems are spared, but usually everyone dies and their possessions, especially vehicles, are stolen. 

So far this year some 900 Christians have been killed in Nigeria by Moslems. Most of these dead are in the northeast but over a third have died in Central Nigeria where Moslem nomads have been pushing south for decades and have been raiding the largely Christian natives in order to obtain access to more water and grazing land. Thus last month 34 Christians were killed in the northeast while over 40 died in Central Nigeria (Plateau state). The government has promised increased security around Christmas, because Islamic terrorists like to make large attacks on Christian holidays. One reason there has not been more anti-Moslem attacks in the Christian south is because nearly all Moslem religious leaders have condemned Boko Haram, often accusing them of not being Moslems but just deranged killers. These denunciations are convincing to most Christians, who also note that most Boko Haram victims in the Moslem north are Moslem and that many Moslems up there have joined anti-Boko Haram militias. A growing number of Christians are fleeing the north, especially if they still have family down south.

One of the disadvantages of driving Boko Haram out of the cities is that the Islamic terrorists can now set up camps across the borders in Cameroon. Chad and Niger. These three nations have far less numerous security forces and Boko Haram tends to behave on the other side of the border so as to avoid antagonizing the local tribes and security forces. So it’s up to Nigeria to greatly improve surveillance on its side of the border and still leaves a lot of the thinly populated border area unwatched most of the time. There are additional problems with the fact that over 70,000 Nigerian civilians have fled to these two countries to escape the Boko Haram violence. The government is discussing getting some help with this from the United States in for form of American UAVs.

Piracy off the coast continues to be a problem as some of the pirates now go after locals in addition to the better guarded foreign ships and oil company service boats. Robbing the locals won’t make you rich but it’s easier and safer than the foreign owned ships. The navy has responded with more patrol boats and naval bases on the coast and more patrols and quicker reaction to pirate attacks. But so far there are more pirates entering the business than are being taken out by the navy and police.

December 3, 2013: In the northeast (Maiduguri) the curfew was reduced to 11 hours so people could continue their lives. Cell phone networks were also turned back on after having been shut down since May. This was seen as necessary to make it more difficult for Boko Haram raiding parties to move about undetected. Most people in the area are hostile to Boko Haram (although they agree with the Islamic terrorists’ hostility to corrupt and ineffective government).

December 1, 2013: In the northeast (Maiduguri) Boko Haram attacked the air force facility at the main airport outside the city. Over twenty air force personnel were killed and five helicopters and aircraft destroyed. The attackers lost over twenty men. The air force said that three of the “damaged” aircraft were not in service anyway. Flight operations at the airport were halted for a few hours and a 24 hour curfew was declared in Maiduguri because the attack on the airport was just one of many attacks around the city by up to 300 Boko Haram men.

November 29, 2013: In the northeast (Borno state) Boko Haram attacked a rural village, killed 17 people and burned down dozens of buildings and vehicles. Two of the attackers were killed by a pro-government militia.

November 28, 2013: In the northeast (Borno state) the air force bombed a Boko Haram camp in a forest and killed over a dozen of the Islamic terrorists.

November 26, 2013: Tribal violence continues in central Nigeria (Plateau State) as Moslem gunmen attacked four villages killing at least 37 people and destroying much property. Most of the victims were Berom, a tribe that has been in the area for centuries. The governor of Plateau state is Beron. Moslem nomadic Fulani tribesmen have been fighting with Christian and pagan farmers outside the city of Jos for years. The violence has gotten worse now and there have been over a thousand casualties so far this year. Boko Haram has recently claimed involvement, but that appears to be marginal. The Fulani have long claimed that the government was sending Christian police to persecute them because of their religion (not because they were constantly attacking Christian farmers). The settled (farming) tribes have been there a long time and in the last few decades more Fulani have come south looking for pasturage and water for their herds and have increasingly used force to get what they want.

A Mauritanian Super Tucano

29 November 2013 by Guy Martin – defenceWeb

The Nigerian Air Force is considering buying Super Tucano trainer and light attack aircraft from Brazilian manufacturer Embraer.

Nigerian Vice President Namadi Sambo expressed interest in purchasing the Super Tucano during a meeting with his Brazilian counterpart Michel Temer earlier this week.

Sambo and Temer held talks on bilateral relations between Nigeria and Brazil, and announced the creation of working groups on security and defence, amongst other areas, reports Xinhua. An agreement on intelligence sharing, particularly regarding drug-related crimes, will be signed soon. The two parties also discussed the possibility of repatriating 377 Nigerian prisoners in Brazil.

Brazil and Nigeria also discussed other possibilities for cooperation in fields such as trade, agriculture, mining, culture and energy. Trade between Nigeria and Brazil has grown from $1.6 billion in 2002 to $9.1 billion last year, Temer said.

Brazil and Nigeria have enjoyed warm defence relations – for example, in September 2012 the Brazilian Navy offshore patrol vessel (OPV) Amazonas (P120) visited Nigeria and conducted training with Nigerian personnel and vessels. Earlier this year Brazil’s new OPV Araguari (P122) visited Nigeria on its way home from the United Kingdom. Apart from Nigeria, it also visited Cape Verde, Cameroon, Sao Tome and Principe and Equatorial Guinea.

Nigeria has a strong requirement for an aircraft like the Super Tucano as it battles the domestic Boko Haram insurgency and also deploys combat aircraft to foreign countries on peacekeeping operations. The country is expected to vastly increase its defence spending over the coming years, and according to a recent Strategic Defence Intelligence report, the Nigerian defence market will go from $2.3 billion this year to $4.4 billion by 2018.

Piracy and oil smuggling in the Gulf of Guinea and a contribution to peacekeeping operations are expected to drive the country's military expenditure to register a growth rate of 13.62% over the next five years. The domestic Boko Haram insurgency is also expected to drive Nigeria’s security needs. The country’s growth in military expenditure will be assisted by the country's stable economic growth over the forecast period, which will a see rise in defence expenditure as a percentage of GDP from 0.8% in 2013 to 1.1% in 2018, according to the report.

“The growing threat from Boko Haram and other extremist groups in northeastern states, and drug trafficking are expected to drive the Nigerian government's investments in homeland security over the forecast period. Police modernization and homeland security infrastructure developments are expected to be primary areas for investment by the government,” the report noted.

Nigeria can be expected to buy military hardware such as naval helicopters, fighters, patrol vessels, and armoured personnel carriers over the next five years, mainly from foreign suppliers.

African Super Tucanos

Embraer has recorded a number of orders for its Super Tucano from African countries, which see it as a low cost light attack aircraft that can also be used as a trainer. On the continent, the Super Tucano has been ordered by Angola, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Senegal. Embraer is highly optimistic about future orders for the type from Africa.

Angola officially received its first three of six Super Tucanos in July this year and is using them for border surveillance, attack and pilot training. Burkina Faso was the first African country to take delivery of a Super Tucano, receiving three aircraft in September 2011 for border patrol missions. In October last year Mauritania received their first aircraft, featuring sensor turrets for surveillance duties, although they will also be used for counter-insurgency missions.

In April Senegal bought three A-29 Super Tucanos as well as a training system for pilots and mechanics. It will use the aircraft for border surveillance and internal security duties.

Over a dozen global customers have purchased the A-29 Super Tucano. The fleet has surpassed 180 000 flight hours and 28 000 combat hours, according to Embraer.

The A-29 Super Tucano is capable of performing a broad range of missions that include light attack, aerial surveillance and interception, and counter-insurgency.

The Super Tucano is equipped with a variety of sensors and equipment, including an electo-optical/infrared system with laser designator, night vision goggles, secure communications and data-link package.

Armament comprises one .50-caliber machinegun in each wing. Five hardpoints can carry a maximum external load of 1 550 kilograms (3 420 lb). Weapons options include gun pods, bombs, rocket pods, and (on the two outboard stations) air-to-air missiles.

02 December 2013 by Guy Martin - defenceWeb

The Nigerian Navy will take delivery of a number of new vessels next year as it attempts to reduce maritime crime, oil theft and attacks on ships, according to its recently released Strategic Guidance document.

Vice Admiral Dele J Ezeoba, Chief of Naval Staff, said that on assuming office in October 2012, he was committed to repositioning the Nigerian Navy, improving capability for internal security and policing the Gulf of Guinea. As a result, a first Chief of Naval Staff Strategic Guidance document (CNS SG-01) was issued in October last year.

According to Ezeoba, 90% of SG-01’s objectives have been completed. Significant progress has been made on fleet reactivation and recapitalisation, with the availability of operational vessels increasing from 35% to 70% within a year, according to SG-02, released late last month.

Over the last year the Nigerian Navy took delivery of three OCEA patrol boats, three Manta Fast Patrol Boats and two Shaldag patrol craft. Construction is ongoing on two Chinese offshore patrol vessels, one of which will be built in China and the other to be completed at the Naval Shipyard in Nigeria. Nigeria’s naval dockyard is also building a 38 metre Seaward Defence Boat. The Navy is also refitting the NNS Ekun fast attack craft, NNS Ohue and NNS Barama minesweepers and will soon refit the NNS Yola and NNS Brass patrol craft. In addition, three inshore patrol craft will be reactivated.

On the operational side, the Nigerian Navy continued with patrols and reactivated a number of Regional Maritime Awareness Capability Centres and is setting up new sites to improve its maritime domain awareness. Operational successes listed for the previous year up to October 2013 included the apprehension of 33 vessels and 2 278 suspects over oil theft, the destruction of 2 417 illegal oil refineries, 137 barges and 2 032 boats, according to SG-02.

While Ezeoba said that the Navy can be proud of its achievements over the last year, there is room for improvement, hence the creation of SG-02. The Navy wants to clamp down on problems like oil theft, illegal oil bunkering, piracy, robbery at sea and attacks on ships. Ezeoba stated that solving these problems is necessary for Nigeria’s economic prosperity, as it relies heavily on its offshore and onshore oil reserves.

Strategic Guidance 02 expands on the previous document’s objectives, notably improving Navy capacity and domestic and regional security. Short term goals to be accomplished in the next six months include acquiring five K13 inshore patrol vessels, ensuring operational availability of at least four Navy helicopters, establishing a Fishery Protection Patrol Squadron in collaboration with the agriculture ministry, Nimasa and other stakeholders, and improving Navy logistics and training.

Medium term goals (over the next 12 months) include the acquisition of the ex-US Coast Guard cutter USCGC Gallatin, the completion and commissioning of the first Chinese-built OPV and domestic assembly of the second Chinese OPV, commissioning of the second domestic Seaward Defence Boat, completion of the refit of NNS Brass and NNS Yola and the refit of the frigate NNS Aradu, the fast attack craft NNS Siri, Ayam and Damisa. The refit of the fast patrol boat NNS Ekpe, Ekun and minesweepers NNS Ohue and NNS Barama are also expected to be completed in this period.

“All hands must be on deck to ensure the attainment of the objectives set out in this Strategic Guidance 02 in fulfilment of the desired end state of defending and protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity whilst contributing to the economic prosperity and national development of Nigeria,” Ezeoba concluded.

28 novembre 2013 Romandie.com (AFP)

MAIDUGURI (Nigeria) - L'armée nigériane a annoncé jeudi avoir mené des frappes aériennes contre des camps du groupe islamiste armé Boko Haram dans le nord-est du pays, tuant de nombreux insurgés.

Les bombardements, qui ont eu lieu dimanche, ont visé la zone de Sambisa, dans l'Etat de Borno (nord-est). Cette zone est considérée comme un fief des islamistes et est une des principales cibles stratégiques de l'opération d'envergure lancée au printemps par l'armée nigéranne pour tenter d'éradiquer le groupe Boko Haram.

Nos hommes ont identifié et détruit des camps de terroristes dans la zone de Sambisa et l'opération a été un grand succès, a déclaré le porte-parole de l'armée dans cette zone, Mohammed Dole, devant des journalistes à Maiduguri, capitale de l'Etat de Borno.

Je ne peux pas vous dire exactement combien de terroristes ont été tués (...) Beaucoup d'entre eux ont été tués pendant les frappes aériennes qui, selon nous, ont été précises, a ajouté le porte-parole.

Des dizaines d'hommes de Boko Haram auraient été tués au cours de ces frappes, a indiqué une source militaire s'exprimant sous couvert d'anonymat.

Un habitant de Sambisa, Bintu James, a déclaré devant des journalistes à Maiduguri que les raids aériens ont démarré la nuit et ont duré jusqu'à lundi matin.

Le gouvernement nigérian a lancé en mai une vaste offensive pour tenter de mettre fin à l'insurrection du groupe islamiste, qui dure depuis quatre ans et a fait des milliers de morts. L'état d'urgence dans trois Etats du nord-est du Nigeria a été prolongé pour six mois.

Boko Haram a revendiqué vendredi dernier l'enlèvement au Cameroun voisin d'un prêtre catholique français, le père Georges Vandenbeusch.

Ces derniers mois, les attaques attribuées à Boko Haram ont fait plusieurs centaines de morts civiles.

L'offensive lancée par le gouvernement nigérian contre les islamistes les a chassés des grands centres urbains mais les attaques ont continué dans les villages isolés.

Boko Haram, classée comme organisation terroriste par les Etats-Unis la semaine dernière, revendique la création d'un Etat islamique dans le nord du Nigeria, majoritairement musulman.

17/10/2013 par Jacques N. Godbout – 45eNord.ca

L’Assemblée générale des Nations Unies a élu jeudi le Tchad, le Chili, la Lituanie, le Nigeria et l’Arabie saoudite en tant que membres non permanents du Conseil de sécurité, pour un mandat de deux ans à compter du 1er janvier 2014, rapporte le service d’information de l’ONU.

Les cinq pays ont obtenu la majorité requise des deux tiers des 193 États membres présents et votants à l’Assemblée.

Élu au premier tour à bulletins secrets, ils remplaceront l’Azerbaïdjan, le Guatemala, le Maroc, le Pakistan et le Togo, dont le mandat expire à la fin de cette année.

Les cinq membres permanents du Conseil de sécurité, tous dotés du droit de veto, sont la Chine, la France, la Fédération de Russie, le Royaume-Uni et les États-Unis.

Membres non permanents du Conseil, l’Argentine, l’Australie, le Luxembourg, la République de Corée et le Rwanda continueront pour leur part d’y siéger jusqu’à la fin 2014.

En vertu de la Charte des Nations Unies, rappelle l’ONU, le Conseil a la responsabilité principale du maintien de la paix et de la sécurité au niveau international et tous les États membres sont tenus de se conformer à ses décisions.

Dans certains cas, ses 15 membres peuvent imposer des sanctions ou même autoriser le recours à la force en cas d’acte d’agression ou face à une menace imminente à la paix internationale.

Il faut noter que certains des nouveaux arrivants ont des intérêts particuliers dans des dossiers suivis de près par le Conseil.

C’est le cas de l’Arabie saoudite, qui soutient l’opposition armée au régime de Bachar al-Assad et se pose en rival régional de Téhéran.

Par ailleurs, le Tchad et le Nigeria participent quant à eux à la Minusma, la mission de stabilisation de l’ONU au Mali.

18 septembre, 2013 – BBC Afrique

L'armée nigériane a lancé un assaut contre des militants de la secte Boko Haram, ce qui a donné lieu à un échange de tirs dans l'Etat de Borno situé au nord-est du pays.

Les affrontements auraient fait des dizaines de morts des deux côtés.

L'armée, qui dit avoir perdu 16 soldats, affirme qu'elle a tué 150 islamistes affiliés à la secte.

Elle ajoute que huit autres éléments dans ses rangs sont portés disparus.

Toutefois, selon les informations des médias locaux, l'armée aurait accusé une perte plus lourde : une centaine de morts.

Bashir Abdullahi, journaliste au bureau de la BBC au Nigeria, relève que ces incidents sont indicateur du fait que les forces armées nigérianes sont loin d'avoir affaibli Boko Haram.

Il souligne que l'armée a l'habitude de minimiser ses pertes.

Selon le porte-parole de l'armée, Ibrahim Attahiru, une base de Boko Haram sous haute surveillance située dans la forêt de Kasiya a essuyé des raids.

C'est la première fois que l'opinion est mise au courant des détails d'un affrontement avec Boko Haram.

"C'était un camp d'insurgés hautement fortifié avec des armes lourdes," a déclaré Ibrahim Attahiru.

Plusieurs milliers de personnes ont été tuées au Nigeria depuis que Boko Haram a lancé son mouvement d'insurrection en 2009, motivé par la volonté de créer un Etat islamique dans le nord du Nigeria, à majorité musulmane.

Un état d'urgence a été décrété en mai dernier dans l'Etat de Borno et dans deux autres Etats voisins, et des milliers de soldats ont été envoyés en renfort dans la région.

Des groupes d'auto-défense locaux ont vu le jour pour aider à contrecarrer les militants, mais beaucoup de ces volontaires ont été tués au cours des dernières semaines.

Le mois dernier, l'armée a annoncé avoir tué le chef de Boko Haram Abubakar Shekau, mais cela n'a pas été confirmé et les attaques des militants se sont poursuivies.

19 August 2013 defenceWeb (Reuters)

Clashes between soldiers and members of Islamist sect Boko Haram have killed 18 people in northeast Nigeria, a military source and officials said.

Boko Haram, which wants to impose Islamic law in Nigeria's north, and other spin-off Islamist groups have become the biggest threat to stability in Africa's top oil exporter.

Suspected members of Boko Haram killed 11 people in an attack on Damboa town in Borno state on Thursday, shooting at soldiers, burning shops and killing civilians, a military source said, asking not to be named because he was not authorized to give official statements, Reuters reports.

"More troops have been dispatched to the area to confront the insurgents. They sneaked away towards the bush leading to parts of Yobe and Gombe States," the source said.

Around 50 gunmen in cars and motorbikes stormed the rural town, forcing hundreds of residents to flee to hide in nearby farms, locals said.

In neighboring Gombe state, police officers killed seven members of Boko Haram in a two-hour gun fight in the early hours of Friday, Gombe Police Spokesman Fwaje Atajiri told reporters.

President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in mid-May and launched an offensive against the group in its stronghold in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states in the northeast.

The insurgency was initially weakened but remains active and there has been an uptick in violence in the past month.

Boko Haram's main targets are security forces or government officials. It has also carried out several attacks on Christian and Muslim worshippers, as well as schools and markets.

19 June 2013 defenceWeb (Reuters)

Pirate attacks off West Africa's mineral-rich Gulf of Guinea have almost doubled from last year and threaten to increase the costs and jeopardise the shipping of commodities from the region.

The Gulf of Guinea, which includes Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast, is a major source of oil and cocoa and increasingly metals for world markets, although international navies are not actively engaged in counter-piracy missions in the region.

Unlike waters off Somalia and the Horn of Africa, where ships can transit past at high speed with armed guards on board, many vessels have to anchor off West African coastal nations, with little protection, making them a soft target for criminals, Reuters reports.

A study published on Tuesday showed piracy in the Gulf of Guinea cost the world economy between $740 million and $950 million last year and that figure is expected to grow in 2013.

Kaija Hurlburt of advocacy group Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP), which co-authored the report, said the type of vessels attacked had become more diverse. "The impact on the commercial trade sector is a problem," she said.

A separate study by OBP earlier this year estimated the cost of Somali piracy fell 12.5 percent in 2012 to $5.7 billion-$6.1 billion, helped by vigorous navy action, the deployment of private armed security guards and defensive measures on ships.

In contrast, the World Bank in April estimated Somali piracy may still cost the world economy about $18 billion a year.

Data from watchdog the International Maritime Bureau, another of the latest study's authors, showed attacks in the Gulf of Guinea for the year to date reached 67 incidents, versus 34 in the same period last year. These included five attacks off Togo, versus five in the same period last year.

Apart from the fear of increasingly violent attacks in the Gulf of Guinea, the study said seafarers were concerned that authorities in the region could not be relied upon.

"We had a 'port inspection' and they took eight tins of paint, two coils of rope, and several bottles of whiskey," one seafarer said in the report. "If the 'authorities' do this, who do we rely on for help?"

HIGHER INSURANCE COSTS

Last week the Joint War Committee, which groups syndicate members from the Lloyd's Market Association (LMA) as well as representatives from London's insurance company market, added Togo to its list of high risk areas for merchant shipping, which already includes Nigeria and Benin.

"We were recognising the trend of increased risk to the assets the market insures," LMA senior executive Neil Roberts told Reuters. "All the reports indicate the situation will continue for a while. We need to be alive to that as insurers."

The study, which was also put together by industry alliance the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme, estimated the total insurance cost for the Gulf of Guinea last year was between $423 million to $437 million.

"We expect, especially with the expansion of the high risk zone by the Joint War Committee, that is going to lead to a higher cost of insurance," said OBP's Hurlburt.

"We have already seen a greater number of kidnappings for ransoms," she said. "There might be a higher cost for private security as we move forward."

Analysts say while Somali gangs have focused on capturing vessels to extract ransom money, criminality in West Africa, including oil theft, poses more complex problems.

30 mai 2013 Romandie.com (AFP)

KANO (Nigeria) - Les services de sécurité nigérians ont affirmé jeudi avoir découvert une cellule du Hezbollah dans une maison à Kano (nord), où des ressortissants libanais avaient caché des armes devant servir à des attaques contre des cibles israéliennes et occidentales au Nigeria.

Le responsable des services de renseignement de l'Etat de Kano, Bassey Etang, a déclaré devant des journalistes que le propriétaire du local où la cache d'armes a été découverte entretenait des liens avec le Hezbollah et que cette maison abritait une cellule du mouvement chiite libanais.

Ceci est l'oeuvre du Hezbollah. Ce que nous venons juste de découvrir c'est une cellule du Hezbollah et ce que vous avez vu, c'est un arsenal du Hezbollah, a-t-il dit sans toutefois apporter les preuves de ces accusations.

Les armes devaient servir à viser des intérêts israéliens et occidentaux au Nigeria, a ajouté M. Etang, dirigeant local du Département de la sécurité d'Etat (DSS), le plus important des services de renseignement.

Dans un communiqué distinct, l'armée a affirmé que le compound (résidence qui compte plusieurs villas) abritait une cellule terroriste liée au Hezbollah.

Dans l'arsenal découvert, il y avait des armes anti-chars, des lance-roquettes, des mines anti-chars et anti-personnelles, selon l'armée. En outre, trois Libanais ont été arrêtés en lien avec cette affaire et un quatrième suspect est en fuite, après une solide enquête anti-terroriste menée ces derniers mois.

Des journalistes ont été conduits dans ce compound dans le quartier huppé de Bompai. La cache y était creusée sous une chambre.

A Jérusalem, des responsables israéliens de la sécurité ayant requis l'anonymat ont déclaré à l'AFP que le Nigeria était un lieu de destination pour le terrorisme chiite et la mouvance jihadiste mondiale qui intensifient leurs activités en Afrique.

Ces responsables ont affirmé que la cellule démantelée faisait partie d'une campagne terroriste chiite contre des cibles occidentales et israéliennes qui se développe dans le monde entier depuis un certain nombre d'années.

Les services de sécurité israéliens n'excluent pas que des membres de cette cellule aient opéré pour le compte du Hezbollah dans d'autres Etats africains comme la Sierra Leone, la Côte d'Ivoire, le Bénin et le Ghana.

Le Nigeria est confronté depuis des années à une insurrection armée dans le nord du pays, menée par le groupe islamiste armé Boko Haram.

L'armée mène une vaste offensive contre ces insurgés dans le nord-est où l'état d'urgence a été décrété. Selon l'ONG Human Rights Watch, les attaques menées par Boko Haram et la répression ont fait 3.600 morts depuis 2009.

Des enquêtes sont toujours en cours pour déterminer si les ressortissants libanais sont réellement liés à Boko Haram, a déclaré le responsable du renseignement.

Selon des experts, Boko Haram est avant tout un groupe nigérian qui a pu nouer des liens avec la branche d'Al-Qaïda au Maghreb et en Afrique de l'Ouest.

Selon l'armée, l'un des suspects libanais, Mustafa Fawaz, a été arrêté le 16 mai et ses aveux ont permis d'identifier d'autres membres du réseau terroriste étranger.

Cet homme serait, selon certaines sources, le dirigeant d'un supermarché et d'un parc d'attractions Wonderland à Abuja. Un employé répondant au téléphone dans ce parc a déclaré à l'AFP que M. Fawaz n'avait pas été vu au bureau cette semaine.

Un second suspect, Abdullah Tahini, a été arrêté plusieurs jours après, en essayant d'embarquer de Kano sur un vol pour Beyrouth, selon l'armée. Le troisième Libanais, Talal Roda, a été arrêté à Kano le 26 mai. Et le quatrième homme, présenté comme un suspect, Fauzi Fawad, est en fuite.

Le plus haut responsable de l'armée à Kano, le général Iliyasu Abba, a expliqué aux journalistes que cette affaire avait suscité beaucoup d'intérêt national.

En février, le DSS a annoncé avoir découvert une cellule militante qui recevait des instructions d'agents iraniens cherchant à attaquer des cibles israéliennes et occidentales au Nigeria.

21/05/2013 45eNord.ca (AFP)

L’armée nigériane a annoncé lundi avoir repris cinq localités aux islamistes dans l’État de Borno (nord-est) et elle a décidé d’envoyer mille hommes en renfort, au sixième jour de l’offensive contre les insurgés de Boko Haram dans cette région.

L’armée a «sécurisé les environs de New Marte, Hausari, Krenoa, Wulgo et Chikun Ngulalo après avoir détruit toutes les bases terroristes situées autour de ces localités (…) et assure la protection et la liberté» des habitants, a déclaré le général Olukolade, porte-parole de l’armée nigériane, dans un communiqué.

Toutes ces localités sont situées à proximité de la frontière camerounaise et étaient considérés comme des fiefs du groupe islamiste.

Des milliers de Nigérians ont fui vers des villages du nord du Cameroun.

«Depuis que le Nigeria a décrété l’état d’urgence, ils viennent ici (…) à la moindre détonation», a affirmé à l’AFP lundi une source sécuritaire camerounaise, soulignant que ce sont «des milliers» de Nigérians qui sont arrivés dans l’arrondissement de Fotokol (nord) depuis la semaine dernière

Lorsqu’il a décrété le 14 mai l’état d’urgence dans les États voisins de Borno, Yobe et Adamawa, le président Goodluck Jonathan a reconnu que les insurgés avaient pris le contrôle de certaines zones d’où ils avaient retiré le drapeau nigérian et chassé les représentants de l’État.

Selon les témoignages recueillis précédemment par l’AFP auprès d’habitants, New Marte et Krenoa avaient été les cibles de frappes aériennes par l’armée nigériane, au début de l’offensive la semaine dernière.

Parallèlement, «le siège des armées a approuvé le déploiement de 1 000 soldats supplémentaires dans l’État d’Adamawa et 200 d’entre eux sont déjà arrivés à Yola», la capitale, a déclaré à l’AFP le Lieutenant Ja’Afar Nuhu, porte-parole de l’armée dans cet État.

«Ces soldats supplémentaires vont être déployés dans des zones de tensions dans lesquelles ont eu lieu des attaques terroristes», a-t-il précisé.

L’armée a déclaré dimanche que «les terroristes délogés (étaient) en déroute». Mais une source sécuritaire a confié à l’AFP sous couvert d’anonymat que «l’opération n’est pas aussi facile que prévu».

À Maiduguri, capitale de l’État de Borno et fief historique de Boko Haram, où un couvre-feu permanent est en vigueur dans 12 quartiers, les patrouilles militaires se sont intensifié, lundi, des soldats tiraient en l’air depuis leur véhicule pour libérer le chemin à leur passage, selon des habitants.

L’armée a annoncé lundi y avoir arrêté «environ 120 terroristes alors qu’ils organisaient l’enterrement d’un de leurs commandants» tué la veille.

Les activités commerciales ont presque totalement cessé dans cette ville de plus d’un million d’habitants, a constaté un journaliste de l’AFP, et les gens se sont plaint d’avoir de plus en plus de mal à gagner de quoi vivre.

«Je vends de l’igname, d’habitude je gagne au moins 5 000 nairas (environ 33 $) par jour mais les ventes ont chuté depuis jeudi», s’est inquiété Ba-Kaka Kolo. «Hier, j’en ai vendu à crédit parce qu’un client m’a dit ne plus avoir d’argent».

«On voulait que Boko Haram soit stoppé, mais ce couvre-feu et le blocage des routes affectent notre économie», a-t-il regretté.

Pour couper toute possibilité de ravitaillement des islamistes, l’armée impose un blocus de la région. Conséquence, le prix des denrées grimpe à Maiduguri et dans les localités du nord de Borno, les camions de marchandises ne pouvant circuler librement à l’entrée et à la sortie de la ville.

Jusqu’à présent, l’offensive a fait «quelques dizaines» de morts parmi les insurgés et 3 victimes parmi les soldats, selon l’armée. Il est difficile de vérifier ces informations de source indépendante, et de mesurer l’impact du conflit sur la population civile, car les liaisons téléphoniques sont coupées dans les États de Yobe et Borno.

Les forces de l’ordre nigérianes ont souvent été accusées de violation des droits de l’homme et d’abus envers les civils, au cours de leur répression de l’insurrection islamiste.

Selon l’ONG Human Rights Watch, les attaques de Boko Haram et la répression de l’insurrection par les forces de sécurité ont fait 3 600 morts depuis 2009.

En 2009, l’armée avait pilonné plusieurs quartiers de Maiduguri pendant une vaste opération contre les islamistes, qui avait fait plus de 800 morts dans toute la région.

À lire aussi:

Nigéria: l’ONU s’en mêle et menace Boko Haram de poursuites pour crimes contre l’humanité >>

Nigéria: frappes aériennes et encerclement pour affaiblir les islamistes de Boko Haram >>

L’armée nigériane lance un assaut contre les islamistes de Boko Haram >>

7 May 2013 BBC Africa

A Nigerian warplane involved in operations against militant Islamists in Mali has crashed in Niger, killing two pilots, the army has said.

These are the first casualties Nigeria has suffered after deploying troops in January to fight the militants.

Mechanical failure was likely to have caused the fighter jet to crash near Mali's border while it was on a non-combat mission, reports say.

International forces uses Niger as an airbase for operations in Mali.

France has started to withdraw some of its 4,500 troops from Mali, hoping that African forces will take over the campaign to fight the militants.

'Routine flight'

The UN Security Council passed a resolution in April to incorporate the 6,000-strong African force in Mali into a UN force numbering 11,200.

Chad and Nigeria form the bulk of the African troops in Mali.

Nigerian Air Force spokesman Commodore Yusuf Anas told Reuters news agency that an investigation was underway to establish the cause of the crash.

"They were on a normal routine flight about 60km (37 miles) west of Niamey when something happened," he told Reuters.

Army sources in Niger ruled out the possibility that the jet had been shot at, saying it was not in "enemy territory".

French and African troops have driven the militants out of northern cities and towns in Mali - including Timbuktu and Gao - since combat operations started in January.

But some fighters have retreated to desert hideouts in the vast region, from where they launch isolated attacks against French and Malian forces.

The al-Qaeda-linked militants took advantage of a coup in Mali in March 2012 to extend their control across the north of Mali.

France intervened, saying Mali could become a "terrorist state" that threatened global security.

23 April 2013 BBC Africa

Nigeria's army has said it seized rocket-propelled grenades during last week's fighting in Baga - believed to have been one of the first times Boko Haram has used heavy weapons.

It says 37 people were killed, while others maintain at least 185 died.

The army says 30 members of the Boko Haram Islamist group, one soldier and six civilians died.

The Red Cross has backed local officials who say the figure is higher but they have not been into the town.

An army statement said three rocket-propelled grenade launchers had been recovered, along with bomb-making material.

The previous most deadly incident of the three-year Boko Haram uprising came last year when at least 160 people were killed in co-ordinated bomb attacks in the northern city of Kano.

The group is fighting to install Islamic law in the predominantly Muslim north of Nigeria.

'Military siege'

Baga is close to the border with both Chad and Niger and a multinational force from the three countries was attacked, its commander Brig Gen Austin Edokpaye said.

The Red Cross is still trying to gain access to the town to help those affected by the violence, national co-ordinator Umar Mariaga told the AFP news agency.

Local MP Isa Lawan told the BBC Hausa service that "what happened is Baga is sad and beyond description".

"We have already started despatching relief materials, including building materials and food stuff. We want to make sure that people get the necessary assistance to start rebuilding their homes."

He said there were "many versions of what happened. Everyone tells his own version. So no-one is sure which version to believe.

"Many people died. But the figure of casualties given by the people of Baga is 185."

A resident who did not want to be named told AFP:

"Baga is still under military siege... The town is at a standstill, with little food and water, which has forced even those of us that stayed behind to start leaving."

One unnamed rescue official said that 40% of the town had been destroyed by fire following the clashes.

But Brig Gen Edokpaye disputed this, saying Boko Haram's weapons had exploded, causing "fire to about 30 thatched houses in the predominantly fishing community".

He said that five militants had been arrested.

Many of the town's residents fled during the clashes and say they returned to find their homes burnt to the ground.

Bodies were still being found and buried on Monday, two of the town's inhabitants told BBC Hausa.

One eyewitness told the BBC that the fighting started when gunmen entered a video-viewing centre, looking for a man, who then fled.

The militants opened fire, attracting the attention of nearby soldiers, who were initially overpowered, before returning with reinforcements, leading to a fierce gunbattle, he said.

Correspondents note that the Nigerian military often plays down the number of people killed in clashes with militants.

Communications with parts of northern Nigeria are difficult since mobile phone masts were destroyed by militants.