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US
government announced sending 300 troops along with surveillance drones to
Cameroon to bolster a West African effort to counter the Boko Haram sect.
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Troops from the United
States of America (USA) yesterday commenced drone surveillance over Sambisa
forest in Borno State, North East Nigeria. News correspondents gathered that many Boko Haram militants have been spotted by the
troops inside Sambisa forest. Sambisa
forest is widely believed to be the fortress of the notorious Boko Haram sect.
It is said to be one of the locations where the insurgents are believed to be
holding some of the over 200 school girls who were abducted from Government
Secondary School, Chibok, Borno state in April, 2014.
It
would be recalled that the US government recently said it was sending 300
troops along with surveillance drones to Cameroon to bolster a West African
effort to counter the Boko Haram sect.
Nigeria
and Cameroon had welcomed the US’ decision.
LEADERSHIP
Sunday report continues:
President
Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu, had in the wake of the announcement,
said the development was welcome, while the military said it demonstrated
cooperation that was needed against the Nigeria-based militants, who have pledged
allegiance to the Islamic State group.
“The
United States has given the pledge to support the fight against Boko Haram in
Nigeria and in the region,” Shehu had told AFP by telephone.
“This
is the fulfilment of that pledge and we are very happy about it. The United
States’ move is quite commendable.”
Also,
spokesman of the military, Colonel Rabe Abubakar added, “this is how the fight
can be done collectively with partners cooperating with us to fight against a
common cause – terrorism – which has been ravaging the region for some time
now.”
Cameroon’s
President, Paul Biya hailed the US deployment as a “precious contribution” to
the fight against the Islamists, who have increased their attacks against
civilians using suicide bombers in border areas of Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and
Niger.
Yesterday’s
sighting of the insurgents was an indication that the effort was already
yielding result.
Recall
that in a notification to Congress, President Barack Obama had said that an
advance force of about 90 military personnel began deploying on Monday to
Cameroon, with the consent of the Yaounde government.
The
troops will “conduct airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
operations in the region,” Obama said.
“These
forces are equipped with weapons for the purpose of providing their own force
protection and security, and they will remain in Cameroon until their support
is no longer needed,” he added
US
officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the troops would provide
intelligence to a multi-national task force being set up to fight Boko Haram,
composed of troops from Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, Chad and Benin Republic.
Boko
Haram, which wants to carve out an Islamist caliphate and has allied itself to
Islamic State, earlier this year stepped up cross-border attacks on Nigeria’s
neighbours.
The
American officials said the US soldiers would deploy initially to the city of
Garoua in northern Cameroon, not far from the Nigerian border. The force will
include Predator drones for surveillance.
The
White House said the move was not in response to any changed assessment of
threat in the region. The US has no combat troops in Africa, but has been
increasing support to allies battling Boko Haram in the region.
The US drone base in
Cameroon will provide intelligence support to the multilateral coalition
fighting Boko Haram, the radical, jihadist group that seeks to destroy the
Nigerian state. The drone base in Cameroon will be the thirteenth surveillance
base established by the United States on the African continent. In West Africa,
there are U.S. surveillance facilities in Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, and now
Cameroon.
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