The Failure to Confront Boko Haram

The former and recent Chief of Defense Staff for the Nigerian military, Air Marshall Alex Bardeh, who was responsible for coordinating the effort against Boko Haram recently spoke candidly of the challenges he faced.

“I was head of a military that lacked the relevant equipment and motivation to fight an enemy that was invisible and embedded in the local populace.  Added to this was the exploitation of a serious national security issue by a section of the press and the political class to gain political mileage.  Furthermore, the activities of fifth columnists in the military and other sensitive military information, leaked to the terrorists, combined to make the fight against the insurgents particularly difficult.

The activities of these unpatriotic members of the military not only blunted the effectiveness of the fight, but also led to the needless deaths of numerous officers and men who unwittingly fell into ambushes prepared by terrorists who had advance warnings of the approach of such troops.  The decision by certain countries to deny us weapons to prosecute the war also added to the challenges we faced.”

Bardeh also expressed thanks to the regional partners that joined the fight early this year.  Cameroon and Chad have increasingly born the brunt of Boko Haram’s offensives including the abduction of 135 people in Chakamari and the massacre of nine fishermen there.  Chad showed a policy level acknowledgement of the ideological nature of the conflict when it banned the Burqa for tactical considerations despite the religious significance.

It seems that in Bardeh’s mind, Nigeria will remember who it’s true friends are.  He explained that those who gave Nigeria the weapons they needed near the end of the Jonathan administration would always have a place in his heart.  That would be South Africa and Russia.  The chance for the U.S. to build trust among diplomats and military partners was squandered by politicians in the year that Boko Haram grew to be the deadliest jihadist group in modern times.  The new president of Nigeria recently expressed the same conclusion last month When he accused his host, President Obama, during his visit to the U.S. of ‘aiding and abetting’ Boko Haram.