Differences Over Border Policy Threatens West African Terror Operations

In the past three months the Cameroonian military has been accused of killing roughly 200 Nigerian civilians living along the Northeast border region of the two countries. Eyewitnesses claimed the soldiers, on numerous occasions, were in pursuit of members from the terrorist organization Islamic State Province of West Africa (ISPWA), commonly known as Boko Haram, only to turn their fire on local villagers. Boko Haram pledged its allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) last year. One attack took place in the Gwoza area while another occurred in the village of Ashigashiya.

ISPWA has been a massive thorn in the side of Nigeria and its neighboring states. The nations of Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Benin all pledged their military in the fight against the organization through the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in 2014, but did not begin operations until last year. The MNJTF is comprised of roughly 8,700 soldiers.

Since 2013, ISPWA has killed around 1,200 Cameroonians. As the Nigerian military pushes the organization further north, it is also forcing ISPWA to cross borders into neighboring countries. The result has been increased attacks outside of Nigeria. The past several months have been increasingly bloody for Cameroonian citizens, as ISPWA has launched several attacks in a short period of time.

In late August of 2015 ISPWA killed 80 people in three villages, 68 were killed in Baanu, as men on horseback fired on unsuspecting villagers. Just days later 30 people were killed and another 145 were wounded when a group of ISPWA fighters opened fire on a market in the Northern town of Kerawa.

These shootings were followed by several suicide bombings in October and November that killed even more Cameroonians. On October 11, a suicide bomb killed 11 people in Kangeleri, and then in November twin suicide bombers killed at least seven civilians in the town of Dabanga.

One of the difficulties plaguing Cameroonian forces is the ability of ISPWA fighters to launch quick strikes and then run back into Nigerian territory. By the time any Cameroonian security forces can reach the scene of impact, the fighters are already running for the border. This is likely where the Cameroonian soldiers got into trouble over the past three months.

After three violent and destructive months for Cameroon, tensions must be running high. While Cameroonian military commanders claim their troops are trained with human rights involved, it can be difficult to put emotions aside for a dangerous group.

ISPWA fighters could easily blend into a normal village, and this could have created confusion amongst the government soldiers. This confusion, coupled with the desire to keep ISPWA from doing any more harm to Cameroon, may have driven the soldiers to open fire on a village they suspected of harboring terrorists.

The recent shootings of Nigerian citizens creates an increasing dilemma for villages along the border regions. On one side they have ISPWA who may force the village to house them or be killed, and on the other they have Cameroonian soldiers who are becoming increasingly less trusting of Nigerian citizens.

It is reasonable to believe the Cameroonian soldiers are attempting to create a no-go zone along the border after Nigeria refused to evacuate the its borders and create a buffer zone. Cameroon’s government have formally denied these claims, their recent actions suggest otherwise. The proposed buffer zone would be uninhabited, and anyone in the area would be fired upon. This idea could pose a great threat to civilians, as seen in the past several months, but it could also allow soldiers to better prevent future attacks by identifying hostiles earlier.

With a no-go zone between countries, it would be more difficult for ISPWA fighters to seek refuge in villages if there are none for miles. The zone could also allow for neighboring countries to better secure their borders if they could move their troops further into the country.

Cameroon, in early 2015, was against moving its troops into Nigeria since ISPWA was looked at as Nigeria’s problem. The possible attempt to create a no-go zone illustrates Cameroon’s desire to remain out of Nigeria, but still efficiently combat ISWA.

If Nigeria wants to avoid any more casualties at the hands of the Cameroonian military, it may want to work on formalizing a buffer zone. Working to create an area where the large MNJTF can operate without fear of harming civilians could create a better defense against ISPWA. However, forcing people to move from their homes will create displaced people. It is up the governments of the MNJTF, if they choose this plan, to prevent the flow of these displaced groups across borders so ISPWA cannot travel amongst them.