International force mulled to fight Boko Haram

Johannesburg — As Islamic militants from Boko Haram
step up attack that have led to the slaughter of more
civilians, there is increasing talk that international
military action, possibly including a multinational force,
may be needed to help crush the insurgency in the
country.
The debate has taken on new urgency since January 3,
when Boko Haram extremists swept into the
northeastern town of Baga in Borno state, overran a
military base and, according to witnesses, killed
hundreds of civilians in the days that followed. It was
one of the most brazen assaults since militants
kidnapped nearly 300 girls last year, setting off an
international outcry.
Amnesty International has released satellite images
showing widespread destruction — with about 3,700
structures damaged or destroyed — but the horrifying
picture of the attack is incomplete because aid workers,
journalists and others cannot reach the Boko Haram-
controlled area. Extremists, who encountered resistance
from civilian militias in Baga, systematically slaughtered
civilians in what analysts believe was retaliation for their
defiance.
Boko Haram's message, according to analyst Matthew
Henman, was: "If you organize these militias against us,
this is the response that you will receive."
President Goodluck Jonathan, who is running for re-
election next month, visited Maiduguri, the capital of
Borno State, on Thursday in his first trip to the
northeast since a state of emergency was imposed in
May 2014.
His office said in a statement that he met with troops
involved in fighting the extremists as part of his
"surprise visit." He also visited hundreds of civilians
who were staying in a camp in Maiduguri after fleeing
Baga.
Nigeria's neighbors are already being shaken by Boko
Haram's territorial expansion. Niger, Chad and Cameroon
have seen flows of refugees into their countries. In the
case of Cameroon, there even have been some cross-
border attacks.
Boko Haram is believed to funnel fighters and equipment
across borders; previously, a multinational garrison in
Baga was tasked with thwarting frontier smuggling and,
increasingly, the activities of Islamic insurgents.
"It's a double win" for Boko Haram, which now has
greater border mobility and has stripped its military
opponents of an important outpost, said Henman,
manager of IHS Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Centre
in London. He said the Nigerian extremists are likely
aware of the gains in Iraq and Syria by the Islamic State
group, and may "see similar potential for themselves."
On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he
and British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond discussed
a special initiative to deal with Boko Haram, but he did
not elaborate.
Speaking in Sofia, Bulgaria, Kerry said Boko Haram is
"without question one of the most evil and threatening
terrorist entities on the planet," and that the killing in
northeastern Nigeria is a "crime against humanity" and
must be addressed.
The United States and other countries offered training
and other assistance to the Nigerian military after Boko
Haram seized 276 girls from a boarding school in April,
but most of them remain missing.
The deployment of a multinational force to fight Boko
Haram does not appear imminent and would take
considerable political will, in addition to needing a green
light from a Nigerian government that has appeared leery
at times of perceived foreign meddling. However, a
United Nations official said Wednesday there will be a
meeting January 20 in Niger's capital, Niamey, to explore
the idea of a regional force to confront Nigeria's
militants.
Neighboring governments are reportedly talking about
sending about 3,000 troops to the West African nation,
with a mandate to recover territory from Boko Haram, the
U.N. official said on condition of anonymity because the
diplomat was not authorized to disclose private
discussions. The operation would be supported by the
African Union and potentially "blessed" by the U.N.
Security Council, the official said at U.N. headquarters in
New York.
Regional leaders pledged to cooperate against Boko
Haram at an October meeting in Niger.
There are precedents for military intervention in African
conflicts. In 2013, France sent troops to battle Islamic
insurgents in Mali after the government there asked for
help. African Union troops have retaken territory from al-
Shabab fighters in Somalia in past years.
Nigeria's conflict has been seen in some circles as a
local problem, keeping it relatively low on the
international agenda. Its military has struggled with
corruption, low morale, equipment shortages and
allegations of human rights violations. Jonathan has
played down the fight with Boko Haram in his campaign
for re-election.
Any nations that send forces to Nigeria would do so
after deciding it is in their self-interest, said Jens David
Ohlin, a professor at Cornell Law School in the United
States. Nigeria, he said, faces the "classic conundrum"
of a nation that needs help but worries intervention will
threaten its sovereignty.
"In a situation like this, there has to be some kind of
international response," Ohlin said. "That's the only way
to stop it."