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Press Review

Press review October 22, 2021

22 October 2021
Reading time: 19 minutes

Actualités regionales / Regional News

Le MINJEC reçoit une délégation des Nations Unies et de la Commission du BLT. Source 237online

Elle est venue s’entretenir avec le Ministre de la Jeunesse et de l’Education Civique Mounouna Foutsou, sur l’octroi d’un soutien aux Etats membres du Bassin de Lac Tchad ainsi qu’aux organisations membres de la sous-région, impliqués dans la préservation de la paix et de la sécurité. Il s’agit en fait de l’implémentation et la mise en œuvre de la résolution 2349 (2017) du Conseil de Sécurité.

Lutte contre le terrorisme : deux chefs de bureau de l’ONU en visite au Cameroun et au Tchad. Source Tchad info 

Les représentants spéciaux du Secrétaire général pour l’Afrique centrale et pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest et le Sahel, François Louncény Fall et Mahamat Saleh Annadif entament du 18 au 22 octobre, une visite de haut niveau pour la lutte contre le terrorisme.

Les représentants spéciaux, LOUNCENY FALL ET MAHAMAT ANNADIF, en visite conjointe de haut niveau au Cameroun et au Tchad Source 7joursinfo

Dans le cadre de la mise en œuvre de la résolution 2349 (2017) du Conseil de sécurité des Nations Unies, les Représentants Spéciaux du Secrétaire général pour l’Afrique centrale et pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest et le Sahel, François Louncény FALL et Mahamat Saleh ANNADIF, mèneront, du 18 au 22 octobre 2021, une mission conjointe de haut niveau au Cameroun et au Tchad.

Why separatists in Cameroon and Nigeria have united. Source: BBC Afrique 

Cameroon’s five-year conflict could be taking a significant new turn with reports that its English-speaking separatist groups are getting help from an armed group in neighbouring Nigeria. After two attacks by Anglophone militants which cost the lives of 15 Cameroonian soldiers last month, the army issued a statement declaring that “the separatists have used heavy weapons for the first time, in violation of international humanitarian law”. It went on to add that “the rise in power of these terrorist groups… is largely due to their co-operation with other terrorist entities operating outside the country”.

Cameroon Separatist Fighters, Ambazonian Boys Take Over Border Communities, Screen Nigerians. Source: The Sahara Reporters 

A pro-independence movement fighting for self-rule in South-West Cameroon, Ambazonian Boys, has increased its agitation as the fighters now screen Nigerians near the Cross River State border. They blocked both Cameroonians and Nigerians travelling into and out of the two countries was well as engaging in shooting since last week in the borderline communities. It was learnt that they blocked both Cameroonians and Nigerians travelling into and out of the two countries was well as engaging in shooting since last week in the borderline communities.

Nigerian soldiers kill eight ISWAP/Boko Haram terrorists. Source: The Premium Times 

At least eight terrorists of the Islamic State West Africa (ISWAP) and Boko Haram have been killed in an encounter with troops of Operation Hadin Kai, Nigeria’s counter terrorism operation in the North-east. Army spokesperson, Onyema Nwachukwu, a brigadier general, disclosed this in a statement on Monday. According to him, the eight terrorists died during two different operations. The first incident took place on Monday at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Wulgo, Borno state. The second took place around 151 Battalion location where their gun truck ran over a Vehicle Improvised Explosive Device.

Insecurity: 10 soldiers, 21 others killed by gunmen across Nigeria last week. Source: The Premium Times 

As the insecurity across Nigeria persists, no fewer than 31 persons were killed by gunmen in various attacks across the country last week. The breakdown shows that 10 military personnel and 21 civilians were the victims of the attacks by non-state actors. The figures were collated by PREMIUM TIMES manually from media reports and therefore do not include incidents that were not reported. The  total number of people killed shows a slight decline from that of the previous week when at least 41 persons were killed. It, however, shows an increase in the casualties on the side of security personnel.

Insecurity: Will Prayer Save Nigerians From Violence, Killings? Source: The HumAngle

Since the emergence of Boko Haram over a decade ago, along with the inception of other terror groups, Nigerians have been through a roller-coaster of emotions. The security challenges, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) report, have displaced over two million people in the northeastern part of Nigeria. As the security situation in Nigeria continues to deteriorate, many religious and political leaders are encouraging citizens to be more prayerful.

Over 13,000 terrorists, families surrender to Nigerian troops – DHQ. Source: The Premium Times

The Defence Headquarters says 13,243 terrorists and members of their families have so far surrendered to troops in the North-east. The Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Bernard Onyeuko, a brigadier general, disclosed this while giving an update on the military operations across the country on Thursday in Abuja. According to Mr Onyeuko, the surrendered terrorists comprise 3,243 males, 3,868 females and 6,234 children. He said the troops of Operation Hadin Kai had sustained aggressive posture with vigour in the North-east, which had yielded significant results in the last two weeks.

Authorities in anglophone Cameroon call for calm after schoolgirl shot dead. Source: RFI 

Authorities in English-speaking western Cameroon have appealed for calm after a policeman who killed a four-year-old schoolgirl was lynched by an angry mob. This comes just weeks after the new school year began in the troubled region, with students returning in large numbers for the first time in four years. The incident took place on Thursday in Buea, in a region where anglophone separatists and government forces in the French-majority nation have been locked in a bitter conflict.

Nigerian Military Fires Heavy Artillery Gun In Maiduguri. Source: The HumAngle

Nigerian military, air, and ground forces conducted security operations around the outskirts of Maiduguri on Oct 16. The loud sound of Nigerian Military gunfire and artillery projectile launch was heard on Saturday night in Maiduguri the capital of Borno State, Northeast Nigeria. HumAngle understands that a security incident was reported to have occurred at the outskirts of the fortified Maiduguri metropolitan city which houses government buildings, humanitarian actors, residents and the counter-insurgency headquarters in charge of prosecuting the military operations against terror groups in the region.

Nigerian Navy Chief Visits Outpost In Lake Chad, Advises Troops To Be Vigilant. Source: The HumAngle 

The Nigerian Navy’s presence in the Lake Chad Basin is vital in crippling the activities of insurgents in the region. Though, the Naval Force must build the capabilities needed to achieve that. The Nigerian Navy Chief, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, has urged personnel to be extra vigilant during a visit on Oct. 19 to the Naval outpost located in the strategic town of Baga close to the shores of Lake Chad. The Navy Chief arrived at the Nigerian Air Force base in Maiduguri before proceeding to the fishing town of Baga located in Kukawa Local Government Area of Northern Borno onboard a Nigerian Air Force Bell 412.

Au Nigeria, 43 personnes tuées dans l’attaque d’un marché par un groupe armé. Source Le Monde 

Le nord-ouest et le centre du pays sont le théâtre de violences perpétrées par des « bandits » qui volent du bétail, pillent et kidnappent contre le versement de rançons. Un marché du nord-ouest du Nigeria a été la cible d’une attaque sanglante, la troisième en moins d’un mois, dimanche 17 octobre au soir : 43 personnes ont été tuées par des hommes armés appartenant à un groupe criminel à Goronyo, dans l’Etat de Sokoto.

Nigeria : le chef de l’armée confirme la mort d’Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, chef de l’ISWAP. Source Actu niger 

Le commandement en chef des forces de Défense nigériane, le général Lucky Irabor, a confirmé hier jeudi, la mort d’Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, le leader de la Province de l’Etat Islamique en Afrique de l’Ouest (ISWAP), la principale faction de Boko Haram qui opère dans le Bassin du Lac Tchad.

He is dead and remains dead Source RNI

“Abu Musab is dead. As simple as that. He is dead and remains dead.” These were the words of General Lucky Irabor, the chief of defence staff, when he confirmed – at a press briefing on Thursday, October 14, at the presidential villa in Abuja – that Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, the leader of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), was dead.

Niger, les motos interdites de circuler dans la région de Tillabéri Source RNI 

C’est l’insécurité persistante dans la zone qui a poussé les autorités a reprendre ce 13 octobre 2021 une décision interdisant les motos de jour comme de nuit, dans certains départements et communes de la région de Tillabéri, proche de la zone des « trois frontières ». Cette décision a été prise en raison de l’insistance des populations de la région, motivées par la persistance des menaces sécuritaires, qui ont envoyées leurs doléances au chef de l’Etat.

Insécurité : le massacre de civils continue dans la zone de Banibangou (Tillabéri).  Source Actu Niger  

Le lundi 11 octobre dernier, des individus armés ont attaqué le village de Jigi-Zeino, dans la commune de Banibangou, dans la région de Tillabéri. Selon des sources locales, dix (10) civils ont été tués et un autre blessé, ce qui allonge la série noire de massacre de civils dans cette zone située pas très loin de la frontière malienne.

Eight-month pregnant woman among 15 hostages who escaped extremist captors.  Source: RNI 

Six women and their nine children who were abducted by extremists in Borno State managed to escape after months in captivity and join their loved ones this week after a very long walk through the bush.

Emission Kura Bari : impact des œuvres littéraires dans la lutte contre le terrorisme dans le bassin du Lac Tchad. PODCASTSource  RNI 

Dans l’émission Kura Bari, nous parlons aujourd’hui avec nos invités, de l’impact des œuvres littéraires dans la lutte contre le terrorisme dans le bassin du Lac Tchad. L’insurrection de Boko Haram a eu un impact négatif sur pratiquement tous les aspects de l’activité humaine, y compris l’économie, la politique, la vie et les moyens de subsistance des populations de la région du lac Tchad.

Kura Bari Program: Boko Halal, Teaching peace, not war. Podcast.  Source RNI  

Today on the Kura Bari programme we are discussing a book titled “Boko Halal”, which was written to counter narratives of religious extremism. The book was publicly presented on the 10th of October by the non-governmental organisation, the Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development. The Hausa word “boko” means Western education, and the Arabic word “halal” means not forbidden. So boko halal is the direct opposite of boko haram, which means Western education is forbidden.

Baba Laddé, master spy of the three borders Source: Africaintelligence 

By installing the former rebel leader Baba Laddé as its head of intelligence, N’Djamena is hoping to keep a close eye on all its neighbours. His appointment comes amid tensions within the ANS intelligence agency run by Ahmed Kogri.

 

Paix et sécurité / Peace & Security

Gains of joint efforts against insurgency Source Vanguard News 

THE tide has definitely turned in the protracted war of attrition against Boko Haram insurgents and their bandit offshoots. The insurgents have been dropping their weapons and surrendering in droves under awesome firepower, while the bandits have abandoned forests as they face a new normal of non-kinetic assaults that AK47s cannot counter. These turn-around events are results of strategic transformations in operational strategies of our defence and security forces.

Gwoza Returnees Facing Increased Boko Haram Hostility Amid Harvest Season. Source: The HumAngle 

IDPs who resettled in Gwoza, Northeast Nigeria, years ago are glad to be back in their ancestral home. But they feel even more helpless. Terror attacks prevent them from making a living from their farmlands, and they say the military personnel assigned to protect them aren’t doing enough. Years after returning to their reclaimed communities, residents of Gwoza, a major town in southern Borno, Northeast Nigeria, say their safety and livelihoods are threatened more than ever before as terrorists still attack them. On Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021, two farmers were killed along the road linking Limankara and Hambagda villages. The perpetrators were believed to be members of the notorious terror group, Boko Haram.

This Looks Like The Beginning Of The End Of Boko Haram — We Should Accelerate It Source Daily Trust 

I’ve never been more optimistic about the end of Boko Haram. Major developments over the past five months suggest that this repugnant group has reached the point of no return on its road to final disintegration and annihilation.  Abubakar Shekau died in May at the hands of fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the faction of the group loyal to the so-called Islamic State; since then, hundreds of members have died in the inter-factional warfare that is still raging and thousands have deserted the group.

What New Surrenders Tell Us About Boko Haram’s Size, State Propaganda. Source: The HumAngle 

Nigerian authorities had often referred to members of Non-State Armed Groups in the Northeast as ‘remnants’, but recent large-scale surrenders suggest that they may have underestimated their capacity. The surrender of hordes of insurgents to state forces in Nigeria is not strange. Similar events were recorded in previous years, even as early as 2014. What makes the recent desertions different, however, is the massive scale. Starting from mid-July, members of the Jama’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) faction of Boko Haram fled from their enclaves towards the Konduga, Bama, Gwoza, and Mafa areas of Borno, Northeast Nigeria.

Terrorists Likely To Attack Nigeria – UK Government Lists 12 States Its Citizens Should Avoid. Source: Sahara Reporters 

The United Kingdom government in Nigeria has said terrorists are likely to carry out more attacks in Nigeria, while listing out more than 12 states which its citizens in Nigeria should avoid or be prepared for a high risk of kidnapping and other crimes. In a statement published on its website on Friday, the government also urged its citizens to monitor the local media for information on possible protests in different parts of the country. “Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Nigeria.

Extrémisme violent : Cheikh Walar met en cause la faiblesse des programmes scolaires. Source Alwihda info 

Cheikh Abakar Walar Modou a présidé le 17 octobre la première réunion de la Ligue des oulémas, prêcheurs et imams des pays du Sahel. À cette occasion, un guide scientifique et pratique pour prévenir l’extrémisme a été présenté. Cheikh Abakar Walar Modou a souligné que ce guide scientifique sera un argument clair pour arrêter d’accuser les écoles religieuses d’extrémisme.

 

Humanitaire/ Humanitarian

Risque de crise humanitaire au Sahel : une situation des plus préoccupantes, selon OCHA. Source Dakaractu 

Au Sahel, le risque de crise humanitaire n’a jamais été aussi élevé. C’est le constat du bureau de la coordination des affaires humanitaires (Ocha).  Dans une note publiée le 8 octobre dernier, ce département du secrétariat des Nations-Unies fait savoir qu’en 2021, l’indice de risque moyen dans la région du Sahel est de 5,7. « Ce qui place la région dans une situation de risque de crise humanitaire élevé », alerte OCHA.

Food ration cuts loom for crisis-hit people in north-eastern Nigeria as severe hunger reaches 5-year high.  Source: Reliefweb

The cuts would come just as severe hunger reaches a five-year high in the country in the wake of years of conflict and insecurity – a situation that has been worsened by the socio-economic fallout from COVID-19, high food prices and limited food supply. Moreover, the number of internally-displaced surpassed two million in September 2021 – reaching another grim milestone.

Internally displaced persons crying out for farming equipment and better security. Source: RNI 

Internally displaced persons at the Kawar Maila camp in Maiduguri urgently need farming equipment and more security, saying they are helpless without them. They have asked the government and non-governmental organisations to help them so that they can start irrigation farming, which would allow them to grow bigger crops, make more money because they would be able to grow more than one crop cycle in rotation, making better use of every hectare, and it was healthier because with drip irrigation the rice roots were not submerged.

Fate Of Vulnerable Population In Northeast Nigeria Plunged Into Uncertainty Due To Donor Fatigue Source: The HumAngle 

Nigeria’s BAY states have begun experiencing a decline in humanitarian funding due to donor fatigue on the part of aid organisations, putting millions of lives at risk. Since the beginning of the Boko Haram insurgency over a decade ago in the Northeast region of Nigeria, deaths and displacement continue to rise. The humanitarian crisis that has stemmed from the insurgency has seen millions of people across the region in dire need of assistance. But, in more recent years, the funding to provide this aid has dwindled substantially. Nigeria has been heavily dependent on financial aid from international donors since the beginning of the conflict.

Children In Conflict Zone Regions Face Greater Risk Of Recruitment By Armed Group. Source: The HumAngle 

In a new report by Save the Children, children in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are forcefully recruited into armed violence for various reasons. Save the Children has revealed that children living in conflict zones in the Central Sahel region across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are at greater risk of recruitment by non-state armed groups after schools have been closed for the past two years due to increasing violence and COVID-19. A new report carried out by Save the Children and published by the Migration Studies and Research Group, found a growing number of factors were driving children into conflict in the three countries.

Child Soldiers: UNICEF Commends CJTF’s Delisting From UN General Secretary’s List. Source: The HumAngle 

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has commended the delisting of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) from the United Nations Secretary-General’s report as one of the armed groups recruiting and using children for conflict in Northeast Nigeria, describing it as one step forward for child protection. The commendation from UNICEF comes after the CJTF released more than 2,000 children from its ranks and their commitment to the implementation of an Action Plan it signed in 2017.

Childhood Trauma Persists As Insecurity Widens In Nigeria. Source: The HumAngle

According to the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF)’s State of the World’s Children report published in October, children are often on the frontlines of humanitarian crises. This study is centred around the promotion and protection of children’s mental health. As conflict persists in various parts of Nigeria, particularly in the Northeast and parts of the Northwest, its impact on children cannot be overemphasised.

Tchad : le projet SWEED sensibilise à Mao sur l’éducation des filles.  Source Alwihda info 

La cérémonie de lancement de la campagne a eu lieu au Centre de lecture et d’animation culturelle de Mao, en présence des autorités civiles, traditionnelles, militaires, des représentants des associations des jeunes et des femmes.

 

Stabilisation&Développement économique/ Stabilization&Economic Recovery

There is hope, North-east Nigeria at turning point – UNSource: the Premium times 

The UN says there appear to be more glimmer of hope for things to return to normal in a couple of years in Nigeria’s insecurity-troubled North-east. Addressing reporters in Abuja on Friday, UN Assistant Secretary-General, Ahunna Eziakonwa, said remarkable progress had been recorded in the region. Mrs Eziakonwa who is also UN’s Regional Director Africa said UN’s intervention had already brought remarkable progress.

Le Projet Jeunesse Diffa : Le Pari Gagné Malgré Les Freins De Tous Genres !

Source Le Sahel  

Depuis 2013, la région de Diffa a été minée dans ses efforts de développement par une situation de crise humanitaire qui a généré des conflits, des exactions et autres actes terroristes, occasionnant le déplacement de 302 387 personnes dont 184 404 déplacés internes, 88 668 réfugiés et 29 315 retournés.

La Banque mondiale finance un axe pour contourner l’extrême nord. Source Africaintelligence 

Le conseil d’administration de la Banque mondiale a prévu de se réunir à la mi-décembre pour statuer sur le financement du projet de réhabilitation du corridor routier long de 600 km reliant N’Djamena à la frontière camerounaise.

Nigeria: Maiduguri’s Economic Revival Could Be a Lifeline for Lake Chad Basin Source ISS  (Institute for Security Studies)

Relative peace provides a chance to boost production and trade, and help prevent communities being recruited by Boko Haram. Maiduguri, Nigeria’s Borno State capital, has always played a key part in the Lake Chad Basin’s economy. For years the city was also a Boko Haram hot spot, but this has subsided.Relative peace provides an opportunity to rebuild the economy, triggering growth in other areas affected by the insurgency. Economic recovery can also enable communities to build resilience against being used by armed groups.

G5 Sahel: lancement d’un programme de lutte contre la pauvreté dans la zone des 3 frontières Source RFI 

En Mauritanie, un programme de financement de projets sociaux au profit des populations vulnérables du G5 Sahel a été lancé, ce jeudi 21 octobre 2021, au siège de l’organisation à Nouakchott. Ce financement du gouvernement allemand dans le cadre du G5 Sahel vise en premier lieu les populations victimes du terrorisme dans la zone du Liptako-Gourma communément appelée zone des trois frontières Burkina-Mali-Niger. Une zone où la présence des groupes terroristes accentue la pauvreté et l’insécurité.

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