The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has revealed the reason fighting the Boko Haram insurgency, has proved very difficult for the Nigeria military.
This is even as he acknowledged that it has been so difficult for the military to defeat the group after 16 years of conflict.
The CDS made this disclosure while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
General Musa outlined several factors contributing to the drawn-out conflict. He also highlighted the difficulty in eradicating the insurgents.
He said, “This Boko Haram thing is a lot. Then I tell you this. For them to have survived for 16 years and are still fighting, how are they getting their funding? Who’s sustaining them? Because they cannot just be doing it actively just like that.”
The CDS pointed out the complexity of the situation. He noted that unlike conventional wars where the enemy fights for territory, Boko Haram’s fight is driven by ideology.
He said, “What I tell people is—no country should allow this kind of thing to commence. It is a difficult operation to eradicate, extremely difficult.
“Because before now, when we had the conventional kind of warfare, you are fighting a country. You know you’re fighting for territory. You want to achieve something,” he explained.
“But now you are fighting with people that have nothing to lose. It is an ideology they have in their minds. They believe they are right, and you are wrong. He believes if he kills you, he’s getting a blessing. If you kill him, he’s going to heaven.
“That’s absolutely nothing to lose. That makes it very, very difficult. And it’s not written on their foreheads. So, how do you identify who is who?”
General Musa further emphasized the Boko Haram’s use of human shields to avoid military action. Thereby exploiting international laws that restrict the use of force.
“They’ve realized that we obey international laws, they don’t. So, what do they do? They, Boko Haram use human shields. Anytime they have anything, they go with people. So, that you cannot attack them, you cannot shoot. And that’s what makes it so,” Musa said.
The CDS also acknowledged the frustration over the prolonged nature of the conflict. He, therefore, reiterated the immense challenges faced by the military.
“When people say, why is it taking so long? It is a very, very difficult operation to do. Because if you make the mistake, you kill some people, and your country comes after you. And if you don’t kill them [the terrorists], they continue striving. So, in both ways, you are at the receiving end,” he said.
General Musa also emphasized the constraints placed on the military by international norms and the need for careful operations.
He said, “Because you are wearing a uniform, you can be identified. You are, by law, constitutionally held down on certain things that you must obey. So, those are the issues we are facing.”
“If it were a conventional war, the outcome could be different.
“You know, like I told you, if it was conventional warfare with the equipment, armaments we have now, we’ll go to a community and flatten the entire community where they live. We’ll end this in the very short term, but you can’t do that anymore,” the CDS said regrettably.
source: The Nation
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