Maghreb Edition

Lack of Coordination and Panic Compromise the African Military Coalition Fighting Boko HaramF

Posted On 10 March 2015

Number of times this article was read : 511

Government Troops battling Boko Haram in West, Central Africa and in the Sahel appear poorly equipped and badly trained to deal with an aggressive insurgency. The disastrous bombing on February 17, 2015 of the Abalam village in the east of Niger by unidentified aircraft believed to be from Nigeria’s air force is an example of amateur work and poorly coordinated African armies. The bombing of Abalam, although likely accidental, led to 36 deaths and scores of wounded. The armies fighting Boko Haram are simply finding it difficult to work together and synchronize their capabilities, and the most affected countries of this scramble to degrade the terrorist organization are the ones situated around Lake Chad, namely Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

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The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.