{"id":53433,"date":"2025-04-03T11:37:14","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T09:37:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/?p=53433"},"modified":"2025-04-03T11:37:14","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T09:37:14","slug":"looming-security-crisis-as-niger-exits-military-coalition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/looming-security-crisis-as-niger-exits-military-coalition\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Looming security crisis\u2019 as Niger exits military coalition"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2018The urgency for a cohesive and collaborative response has never been more pressing \u2026 failure to fill the void left by Niger\u2019s exit could plunge the region into deeper insecurity\u2019.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Analysts in the Lake Chad region have warned of a \u201clooming security crisis\u201d after the Niger Republic formally announced its exit from the regional military coalition that is instrumental in combating armed groups in the area.<\/p>\n

The announcement was made in a bulletin released by the Nigerien army and broadcast on state television on Saturday, March 29.<\/p>\n

The coalition, previously known as the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), will now be referred to as \u201cNalewa Dole\u201d and \u201creflects a stated intent to reinforce security for oil sites\u201d, according to the bulletin.<\/p>\n

\u201cNalewa Dole\u201d, loosely translated as \u201cPeace by Force\u201d, will safeguard oil facilities and sites which have been attacked by armed groups.<\/p>\n

The MNJTF, comprising troops from Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, was formed by the four nations bordering Lake Chad in 2015 to combat growing violence and conflict, including vicious attacks carried out by members of the Jam\u0101\u2019at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da\u2019way Wa\u2019l-Jih\u0101d (JAS), more commonly referred to as Boko Haram, and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).<\/p>\n

Niger\u2019s low participation<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cNiger withdrew from the MNJTF weeks after the July 2023 military coup that toppled President Mohamed Bazoum, but was not formally announced until now,\u201d Ibrahim Moussa, a political and international relations specialist, told Ndarason.<\/p>\n

\u201cNiger\u2019s participation in the MNJTF has been very low since the Nigeria-led regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States [ECOWAS], threatened to use military force to restore democratic rule in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mixed reactions to Niger\u2019s decision<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s a great mistake to withdraw our troops from the MNJTF and we will regret it in the future,\u201d a resident of Diffa, who asked to remain anonymous, told Ndarason. \u201cI know the MNJTF has its lapses when it comes to counterinsurgency operations, but I still believe it is better to remain in the MNJTF.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another resident described the decision as a step in the right direction, citing the MNJTF\u2019s \u201cfailure\u201d to discharge its responsibilities as expected.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a good decision. We can\u2019t rely on the MNJTF anymore. We need an alternative.\u201d<\/p>\n

Experts warn of looming security crisis<\/strong><\/p>\n

Zagazola Makama, a counterinsurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, emphasised the need for Niger and its neighbours to take swift and decisive action to mitigate the crisis.<\/p>\n

\u201cNiger\u2019s exit from the MNJTF has left a significant security vacuum, particularly along its northeastern border with Nigeria.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe porous border has long been a weak link in counterinsurgency efforts and without Niger\u2019s military presence, Boko Haram and ISWAP may find fertile ground to establish new operational bases, smuggle arms and launch cross-border assaults.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe remaining MNJTF members, Nigeria and Chad, must urgently restructure their military strategies to address the vacuum left by Niger\u2019s withdrawal,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMilitary sources in Maiduguri have indicated heightened risks for border towns like Damasak and Goskeru, which have historically been targets of Boko Haram incursions. The absence of Nigerien forces, who previously acted as a buffer, significantly escalates the threat level, making these areas prime targets for renewed terrorist activity,\u201d Makama said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFailure to act decisively could allow insurgents to capitalise on the disruption, leading to a resurgence of violence that threatens not only Niger but the entire Lake Chad Basin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Remadji Hoinathy, a senior researcher, said: \u201cThe region should carefully examine the MNJTF\u2019s challenges and some member states\u2019 grievances to strengthen operations and avoid the same fate as the G5 Sahel force.\u201d * See end paragraph<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ibrahim Moussa said: \u201cThe decision taken by Niger will jeopardise the security situation in the region, particularly in the border communities between Nigeria and Niger. It\u2019s still unclear how the remaining countries will fill the vacuum created by Niger.\u201d<\/p>\n

A critical juncture<\/strong><\/p>\n

Makama said: \u201cNiger\u2019s withdrawal from the MNJTF marks a critical juncture in the fight against terrorism in the Lake Chad Basin.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe implications for Niger are profound, as the nation faces the dual challenges of securing its borders and managing internal stability amid rising insurgent threats.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs regional leaders grapple with these challenges, the urgency for a cohesive and collaborative response has never been more pressing. Failure to fill the void left by Niger\u2019s exit could plunge the region into deeper insecurity, with devastating consequences for millions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chad\u2019s threat to leave MNJTF<\/strong><\/p>\n

In October last year, Chad threatened to pull out of the MNJTF after about 40 of its soldiers were killed in an attack on a military base in the lake region.<\/p>\n

President Mahamat Idriss D\u00e9by Itno blamed the attack on Boko Haram. He said he was considering withdrawing Chad from the MNJTF.<\/p>\n

The president\u2019s office alleged that the MNJTF had become \u201clethargic\u201d, which hindered Chad\u2019s ability to engage in counterterrorism operations.<\/p>\n

The G5 Sahel<\/strong><\/p>\n

On December 2, 2023, Burkina Faso and Niger announced their withdrawal from the Group of Five for the Sahel (G5 Sahel). Mali had previously withdrawn. The G5 Sahel force was effectively dissolved after the withdrawal of the three countries, leaving only Chad and Mauritania, which have since paved the way for its dissolution.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

AYSHA MUSTAPHA KOLOMI<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u2018The urgency for a cohesive and collaborative response has never been more pressing \u2026 failure to fill the void left by Niger\u2019s exit could plunge the region into deeper insecurity\u2019. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":53434,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-peace-and-security"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53433"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53433"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53433\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53435,"href":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53433\/revisions\/53435"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53433"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ndarason.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}