Nigeria is adjusting how it conducts air operations against armed groups as part of an updated security arrangement with the United States. Under the new framework, Nigerian fighter aircraft will increasingly rely on U.S. reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering...
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Nigeria: Questions Mount Over U.S. Airstrikes in Northern Nigeria
By Leslie Varenne, MondAfrique: The American strikes carried out in Nigeria on Christmas Day raise serious questions. Beyond the confusion surrounding the objectives of the operation, inconsistencies in official statements, and the unclear nature of the targets, the...
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Nigerian president Tinubu under pressure to avoid war with northern neighbor Niger
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Nigeria: Two dead after fire sweeps though displaced camp of Muna Alamdari in Borno
Posted On 15 November 2023
At least two children died when fire swept through an informal camp for displaced people in northeast Nigeria, destroying more than a thousand tents, emergency officials said on Wednesday. The fire broke out at the Muna Alamdari camp near the Borno State capital Maiduguri, where thousands of people have taken refuge in recent years fleeing from fighting in rural areas in the country’s 14-year jihadist war.
National Emergency Management Agency official Mannir Gidado said the cause of the fire was still under investigation, though fires are quite frequent in the camps. Gidado told AFP the fire was suspected to have started because of people cooking in their tents, near their clothes and their beds. Residents of the camp said four people had died in the blaze, though officials did not confirm that figure.
Fighting in northeast Nigeria’s conflict has ebbed in recent years with jihadists losing the territory and towns they once held. But they still strike at army patrols and rural farming communities. More than 40,000 people have been killed and two million more displaced since 2009.
More than 100,000 people in recent years have taken refuge in Maiduguri, which is protected by the army and security trenches.
Most of them came to live in official camps run by government authorities, who began closing the sites more a year ago, saying the countryside was now safe for them to return. The move is part of a wider bid by the leaders of Borno State to close all camps by 2026 with an aim to end dependency on humanitarian aid. But that has resulted in informal camps overflowing and conditions are deteriorating. Some displaced who people returned to the villages have also come back to the camps due to security fears.
AFP
Recent News from Nigeria
Nigeria Adjusts Airstrike Strategy Under Expanded U.S. Security Cooperation
Nigeria is modifying how it conducts air operations against armed groups under a revised security arrangement with the United States. The new framework places greater emphasis on U.S. intelligence and reconnaissance support while shifting operational responsibility to Nigerian forces. The approach reflects Abuja’s effort to balance external assistance with domestic control amid ongoing security challenges in the country’s northwest.
Nigeria: Questions Mount Over U.S. Airstrikes in Northern Nigeria
The U.S. airstrikes carried out in northern Nigeria on Christmas Day have triggered confusion and skepticism across the region. Conflicting statements from Washington and Abuja, uncertainty over the identity of the targeted groups, and reports from strike locations where no militants were found have raised serious questions about the operation’s objectives. In an already fragile security environment, the lack of clarity risks adding instability rather than addressing Nigeria’s complex security challenges.
Nigeria’s Conflict Goes Global With Washington Entering the Fight
U.S. airstrikes in northwestern Nigeria mark a rare moment in which a long-running domestic security crisis crossed into direct American military involvement. While Nigerian forces have relied on aerial bombardment for years against insurgents and armed groups, the decision to authorize U.S. strikes introduces new political signaling, diplomatic pressure, and strategic implications. This analysis examines why the intervention occurred now, how it differs from Nigeria’s own military operations, and what it reveals about the growing internationalization of conflict in West Africa.
