“We will fight until there is not one insurgent left in northeastern Nigeria and the Lake Chad region – wherever you are, we will find you and destroy you.”

This was the message to insurgents lurking in the bushes and forests from Major-General Ibrahim Sambo Ali, the newly appointed Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) in the northeast, who recently visited the headquarters of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in Chad to seek collaboration and synergy to end the insurgency in the Lake Chad region.

Ali took over from Major-General Christopher Musa, who led the ongoing counterinsurgency operations in the Sambisa Forest and Lake Chad region for 18 months in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

At the handover in January, Musa said: “There is much to be done by troops in routing the remnants of Boko Haram [Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’way Wa’l-Jihād – JAS] and Islamic State West Africa Province [ISWAP] insurgents in the Sambisa Forest and Lake Chad region.”

He said the country, particularly the northeast, was relying on the successes recorded by the troops to restore peace.

“Our troops on the frontlines are better equipped than the terrorists and they are determined to restore peace in the insurgency-affected three states in the region,” he said, adding that without peace and security no development could take place.

In this exclusive interview, Ali told RNI about his visit to Chad.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO VISIT THE FORCE COMMANDER OF THE MNJTF IN CHAD?

The main reason I went to the headquarters of Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in N’Djamena in the Chad Republic was to pay a courtesy visit to the force commander, Major-General Abdul Khalifa Ibrahim, as well as to get to know the stakeholders in the fight against the insurgency in the northeast of Nigeria, including the chief of the defence staff of the Chadian armed forces and the head of mission of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC).

So, the main reason was to establish a cordial working relationship and so that they could get to know me, which is imperative as I am the newly appointed Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, a joint task force fighting insurgency in the northeast. I wanted to meet them because our work is the same as theirs – we are all fighting against the insurgency.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE ROLE OF MEDIA, SUCH AS RADIO, IN  COUNTERINSURGENCY OPERATIONS IN THE LAKE CHAD REGION?

I think it is extremely important that media organisations, such as radio stations, are coming on board. I heard from one of your colleagues that Radio Ndarason International (RNI) was one of the first stations in the Lake Chad area covering such matters. I believe radio will help to reach people living in rural communities. That is important because locals should be kept informed about what is happening in the region.

Insurgents use all means to intimidate and scare locals, so they need to be made aware of what to expect. For example, what they should do if they come across improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Almost everyone has a radio, so it’s an important means of disseminating information to locals about the operations of the Theatre Command, as well as the MNJTF, in the Lake Chad region.

I believe radio has a big role to play in the counterinsurgency or counterterrorism not only in northeastern Nigeria but also in the lake Chad region as a whole.

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF USING RADIO IN CONFLICT ZONES?

This question is very important because it reminds us of what happened in Rwanda during the crisis there. It was through radio broadcasts that the embers of hatred were fanned; that egged people on to attack others. So, use of radio in that country had a negative effect and was counterproductive. It was a lesson to other countries in conflict.

However, if radio is used to transmit positive messages and useful information, it can help locals by giving them hope knowing that there are troops fighting for them and it can advise them on what they can do to keep safe. It can encourage locals to fully cooperate with security forces, which is crucial.

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR LOCALS TO SUPPORT THE MILITARY IN THE COUNTERINSURGENCY OPERATIONS IN NORTHEAST NIGERIA AND THE LAKE CHAD REGION?

As you are aware, I took over as the new Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai on January 28, so it has not been long. But I am aware of how the locals have been supporting the troops’ operations. A lot of the locals now know that it is futile to support the rebels and the insurgents. They are better informed and now they are more willing to cooperate with the troops. Many of the insurgents have also been convinced to surrender and we expect a lot more to do the same.

Local support is important because they speak the same language as the insurgents and they know the peculiarities of the terrorists, such as their habits and the way they work. Locals need to help solve the problem because the problem started with them and it must end with them.

DO YOU THINK THE CIVILIAN JOINT TASK FORCE (CJTF) IS IMPORTANT IN PEACE-BUILDING PROCESSES?

Members of the CJTF are vital because security is everybody’s business and the CJTF has been instrumental in the successes that we have achieved in countering the insurgents. So, without a doubt, the CJTF members are crucial and they are important stakeholders in solving the problems of the insurgency in the northeast.

WHAT KIND OF PEACE MESSAGE DO YOU HAVE FOR THE INSURGENTS/NON-STATE ACTORS IN THE LAKE CHAD REGION?

My advice to the non-state actors or the insurgents is that it is the right time for them to come out of the bush and come home. There is a time for war and there is a time for peace in life. Now is the time for peace and this has become evident as we have seen more than 85,000 insurgents and their families who have already surrendered. Now is the time for the remaining insurgents to come out in the bush, lay down their arms and surrender. They should do this before it is too late. It’s time for them to return to a life of peace. They should not wait to surrender because it could mean they will die. We will be continuing our operations to destroy the remaining insurgents, who are disrupting the lives of ordinary citizens. We will not stop until every insurgent either surrenders or dies in battle. The insurgency must come to an end. Now is the right time.

SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO