Dad's Army in Nigeria: South Africa's aging mercenaries
A round up in The Guardian on those black and white South Africans, who fought thirty years ago in their 'small wars', notably in SW Africa (now Namibia) and today "advising" in Nigeria:
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Who are the members of this dad’s army, willing to risk death abroad and prosecution at home to fight someone else’s war? What is their motivation? And are they welcomed by those they are ostensibly helping?
Link:http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...-on-boko-haram
Their activity is not popular back home, indeed the government says they will be prosecuterd - even if "advising" the Nigerian state.
Helmoed Heitman a veteran South African journalist on military matters sums them up best:
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They have no problem working with black guys and don’t have a racial hangup. Most people in Africa have long since realised this. What they look for is someone with real shooting experience. The old SANDF are not always liked, necessarily, but they are highly regarded.
As I posted in the current Nigeria thread you can spot them sometimes, in Post 213:
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There is a very short clip (starts at 10:46) which suggests the advisers were far more important, as they had wheeled APCs - which the Nigerian Army unit did not have and if you stop the film at 11:01 you see a parade with at least eight white advisers and two or three at the front conducting the parade.
Link:https://news.vice.com/video/the-war-...o-haram-part-3
In a Post 204:A South African report on the convoluted context for
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Beeld newspaper had reported that former SADF soldiers would form the core of a multinational team of private military experts, who were then en route to Nigeria, to help the NDF fight against Boko Haram militants. The 100-strong team had been tasked with training the Nigerian military to launch a massive campaign against the terrorist organisation.
They have been in country for a significant time already, involved in training some specialised NDF units. As per normal they are now deployed in an advisory capacity at the front. This includes being deployed with the NDF special forces, artillery, armour and infantry units on the ground. ‘Most of the gunships [Mi 24 Hinds] are being piloted by former SAAF members and they are flying a huge number of sorties, including nocturnal operations, with great success. There is also close involvement at HQ level, assisting in the planning of operations and the coordination / interpretation of the intelligence effort.
Behind name changes is what?
A short BBC Africa report, with the headline: 'Islamic State strengthens ties with Boko Haram':http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-32435614
Name changes then.
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Boko Haram is a nickname, given to it by Nigerians when it was formed in 2002...its official name Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad, which in Arabic means "People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad".
Islamic State's West Africa Province (Iswap)
Eeben's approach: relentless pursuit
Nearly missed this, note a secondary report:
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...last week, Col Barlow discussed his company's role in a seminar at the Royal Danish Defence College, and in a separate interview with a Sofrep.com, a special forces website, he described in detail the "aggressive" strike force that was created to push Boko Haram onto the back foot. “The campaign gathered good momentum and wrested much of the initiative from the enemy...It was not uncommon for the strike force to be met by thousands of cheering locals once the enemy had been driven from an area. Yes, many of us are no longer 20-year-olds. But with our age has come a knowledge of conflicts and wars in Africa that our younger generation employees have yet to learn, and a steady hand when things get rough.”
Link:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...oko-Haram.html
It's hard to give up a brother
Lindsey Hilsum, UK C4's chief international reporter, has been in Northern Cameroon, where Nigerian activity appears to be pushing Boko Haram across the international border - which straddles the local tribe, numbers of whom are with Boko Haram.
There is a six minute fim clip:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKSWiKzC4P0
Her written report:http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...ith-boko-haram
Nigeria’s Critical Juncture: Boko Haram, Buhari, and the Future of the Fourth Republi
Nigeria’s Critical Juncture: Boko Haram, Buhari, and the Future of the Fourth Republic
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Both sides adjust: the effect?
A short update in The Economist:
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Yet in recent weeks the group has struck back from its remote redoubts, killing more than 200 people in the week to July 5th (and more since then) in a series of attacks across the north. Bombs were detonated in the major cities of Jos and Kano, neither of which had been attacked since February.
This is not a surprise, given there is new President, but maybe unwise hence my emphasis:
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Nigeria’s army, by contrast, is finding counter-insurgency far more difficult than merely liberating captured towns. It has also lost much of the support that contributed to its victories earlier this year. Mercenaries who helped turn the tide in the north-east have been sent home and Chadian soldiers have pulled back over the border.
Link:http://www.economist.com/news/middle...war-bombs-are?
Boko Haram: A Growing Threat in West Africa
Boko Haram: A Growing Threat in West Africa
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Exploring Networks Competing for Influence: Kano State, Nigeria
Exploring Networks Competing for Influence: Kano State, Nigeria
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Nigeria has "technically won the war"
A BBC report on Xmas Eve:
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Nigeria has "technically won the war" against Islamist Boko Haram militants, President Muhammadu Buhari says.
He told the BBC that the militant group could no longer mount "conventional attacks" against security forces or population centres. It had been reduced to fighting with improvised explosives devices (IED) and remained a force only in its heartland of Borno state, he said.
Link:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35173618
There's nothing like being an optimist.
Justifying Jihad: A Case Study of Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram
Justifying Jihad: A Case Study of Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram
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Boko Haram Far More Brutal Than ISIS
Based on the number of people that have been killed and the circumstances surrounding their deaths, one can easily conclude that Boko Haram is a far more brutal and ruthless terror organization than ISIS.
Don't believe me? SEE THIS
These are just few of the reported ones that happened this January. There are still countless unreported cases where Boko haram hit communities and wipe out every human being in them.
The bad thing is that the western press have shown very little concern when it comes to reporting their nefarious activities. Also the various governments of Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad are busy suppressing the statistics so as to hide their incompetence.
God save us