Boko Haram: Tension As Chad Withdraws From Joint Military Force

By Fola James

President Idris Deby of Chad has withdrawn from the Multinational Joint Task Force, MJTF set up by Nigeria and four other countries, in a move security analysts say could draw back gains made in the last four years against insurgency.

The move, they say is also capable of raising tension between Nigeria and her closest neighbor.

The insurgents could also be emboldened as a result of the crack among members of the coalition, according to keen watchers of events in the region.

Apart from Nigeria, Chad, Niger, Benin and Cameroon are members of the coalition forces established few years ago to combat insurgency in the Sahel region.

The development came on the heels of relocation of Nigerian Army Command Post from Abuja to Borno state, the epicenter of the war against Boko Haram.

The Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lieutenant Tukur Burutai said last week he was moving to Borno state to ratchet up the battle against the terrorists, whom last month killed over 40 Nigerian soldiers.

Deby has trenchantly criticized other members of the coalition for not doing much to drive out Boko Haram and ISWAP from the region.

Few days ago the Chadian leader, again lamented the unseriousness on the part four other nations to contain the insurgents.

He said his soldiers have paid a steep price for fighting the insurgents, sometimes moving into territories outside his country to fight the killer terrorists.

This will no longer happen, the former rebel leader said.

Deby said “Our troops have died for Lake Chad and the Sahel. From today, no Chadian soldiers will take part in a military mission outside Chad,” Al-Jazeera quoted him as telling Chadian national TV.

Chad is alone in shouldering all the burden of the war against Boko Haram,” Deby told Al-Jazeera hours ago.

The decision to withdraw his troops from the multinational force, analysts say may not be unconnected with recent casualties suffered by his men from Boko Haram, who are currently occupying a swathe of land in at least three states in Nigeria’s north east region.

Last month, the Abubakar Shwkau-led terrorists invaded some villages in Chad killing many of its military commanders.

Over 90 soldiers, Deby was quoted as saying at the time, were killed by the insurgents during the onslaught.

Even though Chad has retaliated, the magazine leant that the authority of that country is not happy that its forces are the most visible in the war against Boko Haram and their ISWAP allies.

In a counter onslaught penultimate week, President Deby led his troops to kill at least 1000 insurgents, aside capturing the group’s largest arms depot in the Sabisa forest.

The forest is a Nigerian territory but has remained the hideout for Boko Haram and other criminals waging war against the country.

On one occasion, the Chad leader had lamented Nigeria Army’s refusal to take over some territories his troops recovered from the insurgents.

Deby, two weeks ago said 90 percent of the war to defeat the insurgents has been accomplished by his troops,  challenging Nigerian and other Task Force nations to finally route the insurgents, who he claimed are now on the run.

He had earlier in 2016 condemned the Nigerian Armed Forces from drawing back in the war to chase the insurgents away from the region.