After five years of insurgency, the
military has made significant gains on the
battlefield. But now the battle for peace
must begin, says Max Siollun

The Nigerian army has recaptured all of
the major towns occupied by Boko
Haram in recent months, and rescued
nearly 1,000 kidnapped women and
children. It claims to have destroyed
several of the militants’ camps, pursued
the group into the Sambisa forest and
arrested those suspected of supplying
them with food and fuel .
Isolated attacks have continued, but after
more than five years of torment, the
insurgents seem to have been
transformed from the hunters to the
hunted. It is now Boko Haram fighters
who are fleeing, with the army in
pursuit. Recently released footage shows
militants running away in disarray from
aerial bombardments by the Nigerian air
force.
Only five months ago Boko Haram was
wreaking havoc in the north east,
seemingly able to launch attacks at will
after having captured an area about the
same size as Belgium.
A failure to stop militants played a part
in the political downfall of Goodluck
Jonathan, the first Nigerian president to
lose an election, amid promises by his
challenger Muhammadu Buhari to
“crush” the insurgency.
Relations between the previous
commander and his men were
so poor that enraged troops
opened fire on him
Yet even before Buhari’s inauguration,
the military seems to have turned a
corner in its fight against Boko Haram.
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The recent rescue of hundreds of women
and children was a watershed. Although
hostages have escaped from Boko Haram
captivity before, they did so of their own
volition. This was the first time that the
army had rescued hostages in significant
numbers. Some of the women claimed
that their former captors had complained
of battle fatigue and of being under-
equipped – complaints formerly heard
from soldiers.
Also it seems Boko Haram’s leader
Abubakar Shekau has been
uncharacteristically quiet of late – not
having released any of his customary
propaganda videos since March.
After failing for so long, how has the
army managed this turnaround?
Although many factors played a part,
perhaps the most obvious has been a
ruthless crackdown on dissent within the
military itself.
After being stung by reports that some
soldiers had refused to fight Boko Haram
or had “tactically retreated” from battle,
chief of army staff Lt-General Kenneth
Minimah ordered that deserters be court-
martialled. More than 60 were sentenced
to death . He rejected complaints about
being poorly equipped, arguing that “It is
the soldier that fights, not the
equipment”.
His tough tactics appear to have worked.
Soldiers now say they would rather fight
Boko Haram, that confront “that mad
man [Minimah] ”.
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A change of command also helped. Since
taking charge of the division in charge of
combatting Boko Haram less than five
months ago, Major-General Lamidi
Adeosun has provided charismatic
leadership and is respected by his men –
unlike his predecessors.
Relations between the former
commander and his men were so poor
that enraged troops opened fire on him
last May, blaming him for a botched
night-time operation that led to several
of their colleagues being killed.
In contrast, Adeosun personally led his
men into battle in a recent operation.
The new commander has quietly got on
with the job with little fanfare,
implementing more aggressive tactics to
take the fight to the enemy.
But the army’s gains on the battlefield
have inadvertently exposed the
magnitude of the task still ahead. The
fact that the military rescued nearly
1,000 women and children and yet not
one of the nearly 300 kidnapped Chibok
teenagers was among them demonstrates
just how many people are being held.
The rescued hostages, including
children fathered by Boko
Haram insurgents, may
struggle to be accepted
An intermediary who entered Boko
Haram’s camp last year to negotiate the
Chibok girls’ release was shocked to find
their presence dwarfed by other captives .
The teenagers may represent less than
10% of the total number of hostages held
by the militants, amid estimates that
more than 3,000 other teenagers have
been kidnapped.
Boko Haram kidnaps, rapes, and
impregnates female abductees not just to
sow terror but also to replenish its ranks .
More than 200 of the women recently
rescued are pregnant , and several of the
rescued children were born and raised in
Boko Haram’s stronghold in the Sambisa
forest.
It is clear that the Islamic militants will
not just disappear, no matter how
successful the army is militarily. There is
no magic bullet that will end the
insurgency and nothing short of a
comprehensive armistice deal will
neutralise its ability to give the army a
bloody nose from time to time.
Military force is the means, but not the
end. All it can do is buy enough
breathing room for the government to
devise comprehensive solutions. For that,
eyes will turn to Buhari’s new
government taking office on 29 May.
The last time the army inflicted heavy
losses on Boko Haram, in 2009, the
government relaxed and thought the
conflict was over. The militants laid low,
re-armed, regrouped, and returned more
deadly than before. The government
must learn from this missed opportunity.
The conflict is entering a phase where it
needs to be fought not just with bombs
and guns, but also by addressing the
consequences of the insurgency. Those
raped or rendered refugees or orphans
by Boko Haram need rehabilitation and
support. The rescued hostages, including
children fathered by insurgents, may not
be accepted back in their communities.
The group’s indoctrination was so
effective that some of the women
captives opened fire on the soldiers who
came to free them. Some who escaped
captivity in the past were sent away by
their families in order to escape
stigmatisation.
Also, even if Boko Haram agrees to lay
down its weapons, the level of hostility
towards the group means that security
forces may have to protect former
insurgents from score-settling attacks by
their victims.
Nigeria may win the war, but could find
that winning the peace will require
different tactics.

Source: www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/21/nigeria-boko-haram-buhari

FP pls

Interesting...

Good write up.....

Its not easy to completely eradicate insurgency the moment it has been established....

It can only be contained.....

O ga o! This boko haram thing en. Say tomorow sai buahri wi become the president. To! We they wait o. But b4 i 4get fp.