Major rift
between
the
Nigerian
and
American
military
authorities have been hampering the fight against
Boko Haram militants, which have been carrying
out murderous attacks on villages and towns in
the North-East, the New York Times reports.
Relations between American military trainers and
specialists advising the Nigerian military in the
fight against Boko Haram are so strained that the
Pentagon often bypasses Nigeria altogether,
choosing to work instead with security officials in
the neighbouring countries of Chad, Cameroon
and Niger, NY Times quoted defence officials and
diplomats as saying.
Following the strain in relationship, the Federal
Government in December 2014 cancelled the last
stage of American training of a newly-created
Nigerian Army battalion and there has been no
resumption of the training since then.
This was against the backdrop of the refusal of
the US to sell Cobra attack helicopters and other
lethal weapons to the Federal Government to
combat the Boko Haram insurgency, saying the
army could not maintain them.
US Secretary of State John Kerry, scheduled to
travel to Nigeria on Sunday, is expected to discuss
the security issue and the forthcoming elections
with President Goodluck Jonathan when they
meet in Lagos.
The NY Times reports that American officials are
hesitant to share intelligence with the Nigerian
military because they contend it has been
infiltrated by Boko Haram.
It said that the US was so concerned about Boko
Haram infiltration that American officials had not
included raw data in intelligence they had
provided Nigeria, worried that their sources
would be compromised.
The officials are also said to be wary of the
Nigerian military as well, citing corruption and
sweeping human rights abuses by its soldiers.
“We don’t have a foundation for what I would call
a good partnership right now,” said a senior
military official with the US Africa Command, who
spoke on the condition of anonymity because he
was not authorised to speak publicly on the
matter.
“We want a relationship based on trust, but you
have to be able to see yourself. And they’re in
denial,” the official said.
Senator Ahmed Zanna said it was disappointing
that the US would bypass Nigeria to work with
smaller countries on terrorism.
“For a small country like Chad or Cameroon to
come to assist the Americans, that is
disappointing. You have a very good and reliable
ally and you are running away from them,” he
said, faulting the Nigerian government.
“It is terrible. I pray for a change of government,”
he added.
A British diplomat noted that the frustration
between the two sides (Nigeria and US) has broad
implications for the fight against Boko Haram,
including making it harder for other international
partners who have joined the effort.
“We are trying to work closely with the French and
the Americans in support of the Nigerian military
and government against Boko Haram, a rift
between one of our two partners and the
Nigerian government is not a good thing,” the
diplomat

http://punchng.com/news/terrorism-us-ignores-nigeria-to-work-with-chad-cameroon/

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