Boko Haram /ISWAP: CALSER writes US Ambassador to Nigeria over complicity of France, francophone countries in promotion of terrorism

The Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights (CALSER) has written an open letter to the United States Ambassador to Nigeria over the complicity of France and Francophone nations in promoting terrorism. 

CALSER, in the letter dated Monday 29th June and signed by Executive Director, Evelyn Otairu, reiterated that the threat posed by Boko Haram terrorists is real, especially after they formed a dangerous alliance with Nigeria’s Francophone neighbours. 

The group, while acknowledging the achievements of the Nigerian troops questioned the commitment of other nations, with little or no operations and funding of the Multinational Joint Task Force established and authorized by the African Union.

According to the group, “whenever the terrorists come under heavy military bombardment in Nigeria, they retreat to these countries using the Lake Chad Basin region, and from where they regroup and launch attacks in Nigeria”. 

More worrisome, CALSER added, is the heavy presence of over 5000 French anti-insurgent troop under the code name Operation Barkhane in Ndjamena. 

The centre further blamed the large consignments of arms and ammunitions on the porous Francophone routes. 

CALSER, therefore, called on the US to come to the aid of ” Nigeria in addressing the Boko Haram terrorist activities as it is evident that Nigeria is up against a force greater than Boko Haram itself”. 

It appealed to the Americans to go after the international sponsors of terrorists. 

Read full letter below:

Dear Ambassador, 

The complicity of Nigeria’s Francophone Neighbors in the Promotion of Boko Haram Terrorism

The leadership of the Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights extends her warm wishes to the consulate. 

The exigencies of time have warranted that indeed proactive measures are needed in the fight against Boko Haram terrorism in Nigeria from all critical stakeholders that includes the government and the good people of the United States of America.

The Boko Haram menace in North-East Nigeria has assumed a regional dimension, and this should call for concern given the strategic importance of Nigeria on the African continent.

Dear Ambassador, you may wish to recall that on numerous occasions, the Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights in fulfilment of its core mandate has had cause to intimate the consulate of the nefarious activities of the Boko Haram terrorist group in Nigeria through letters, peaceful protests and press conferences.

We wish to use this medium to remind you that the threats posed by the Boko Haram terrorist group is real and has assumed a dangerous dimension with the active collaboration of the francophone countries surrounding Nigeria ( Chad, Cameroon Niger, Mali and Senegal)

It is indeed a statement of fact that since Boko Haram began its violent campaign in Nigeria in 2009, there have been spirited and consistent efforts by the Nigerian Military in addressing the threats posed by this group. Worthy of mention is the periods between 2015 till date. 

This period indeed witnessed multiple gains by the Nigerian Military in rooting the Boko Haram terrorist from their operational base in Sambisa forest in 2016 as well as their various terrorist cells in North-East Nigeria.  

There was also a revamping of the Multinational Joint Task Force to address the threats that would arise in the event of the Boko Haram terrorist group using the francophone countries that boarders Nigeria as their hideouts. 

Dear Ambassador, it is instructive to inform you that the francophone countries have been nothing but uncooperative in addressing the threats posed by the Boko Haram terrorist group. 

We wish to inform you that it indeed a statement of fact that when the Boko Haram terrorist group come under heavy military bombardment in Nigeria, they retreat to these countries using the Lake Chad Basin region, and from where they regroup and launch attacks in Nigeria. 

It is also instructive to state that the bulk of the arms and ammunition used by the Boko Haram group come from these countries despite the presence of a 5000 strong French anti-insurgent troop under the code name Operation Barkhane in Ndjamena the capital of Chad. 

The presence of Operation Barkhane in Ndjamena, Chad Republic has more or less feign ignorance of the operations of the Boko Haram group that have succeeded in building terrorist cells around these countries from where they carry out training and recruitments of fighters.

The Boko Haram group has also been receiving large consignments of arms and ammunitions from countries using the francophone routes. In most instances, these consignments get clearance from the security agencies in these countries.

Dear Ambassador, we wish to inform you that such military consignments cannot go unnoticed by the security agencies in these countries, including Operation Barkhane stationed in Ndjamena, Chad Republic. More worrisome is the fact that the arms and ammunition used by the Boko Haram terrorist groups are from some French and European arms manufacturers.   

This is also on the heels that France through its former colonies have refused to cooperate with Nigeria in the operations and funding of the Multinational Joint Task Force established and authorized by the African Union to conduct combat operations against Boko Haram, intercept trafficked weapons, free hostages and encourage defections. 

Dear Ambassador that the activities of Boko Haram are thriving today is because Nigeria’s neighbours are complicit and this much they have displayed in their commitment to putting an end to the threats posed by Boko Haram. 

There is consequently a need for the United States of America to come to the aid of Nigeria in addressing the Boko Haram terrorist activities as it is evident that Nigeria is up against a force greater than Boko Haram itself. 

The international collaborators and sponsors of Boko Haram have continued to explore the uncooperativeness of the francophone countries with Nigeria to supply the needed logistics for the Boko Haram terrorist group to thrive in their nefarious activities. 

Dear Ambassador, it is based on those as mentioned earlier that the Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights is appealing to the United States of America in coming to the aid of Nigeria in curbing the threats posed by the Boko Haram group.

We wish to by this letter request that the United States of America go after the international sponsors of Boko Haram. Their actions are nothing short of crimes against humanity. It is thus our considered opinion that the continuous killing of innocent civilians can only be stopped if the sponsors and promoters of the Boko Haram group are dealt with. 

While we anticipate a favourable response, please accept the assurances of our highest regards.

Thank You.