Exiting from the state in Nigeria
A long, but interesting read on the relationship between "citizen" and "state" in Nigeria (and most of Africa).
http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/Afric...s004001006.pdf
Anyone who reads this carefully would understand that imposing a Western understanding of "citizenship" and "statehood" in Africa is largely a waste of time.
Africa may not produce as many media worthy protests as the Arab World, but for 50 years and counting, the post-colonial African state has failed to deliver to its citizens - so people have creating alternative structures to the state which in time, will be strong enough to challenge the legitimacy of the state.
I live in Nigeria, I have a front seat view in all of this - I've noticed the rise of ethno/religious organizations challenging the legitimacy of the state - Niger Delta militants and Boko Haram are only two out of many. With each challenge, the state grows weaker, and this is noted by the next generation of separatists.
Where does this leave us? The nation is of the mind and heart, not simply a flag and national anthem. This is looking a lot like Yugoslavia.
How France loots its former colonies
Totally unrelated, but France's record in Africa is a bit mixed. It has intervened severally in former colonies (long before the "War against Terror"). I assume blow back will come one day.
As usual US gets into a tight embrace with France probably without considering long-term consequences.
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Incidentally, once you read this you’ll no longer wonder why French presidents and ministers are sometimes greeted by protests when they visit former French colonies in Africa, even if the protests are about other issues. Though what other issues could be more important than this one we have no idea.
14 African countries only ever have access to 15% of their own money!
Monetary bankruptcy
Just before France conceded to African demands for independence in the 1960s, it carefully organised its former colonies (CFA countries) in a system of “compulsory solidarity” which consisted of obliging the 14 African states to put 65% of their foreign currency reserves into the French Treasury, plus another 20% for financial liabilities. This means these 14 African countries only ever have access to 15% of their own money! If they need more they have to borrow their own money from the French at commercial rates! And this has been the case since the 1960s.
http://thisisafrica.me/france-loots-former-colonies/
Boko Haram: Soldiers’ Wives, Children Resume Protest In Borno
Very worrying sign that the Nigerian Army could be at breaking point.
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The wives and children of Nigerian troops at the Giwa Barracks, Maiduguri, have resumed their blockade of the barracks, insisting that their husbands and fathers will no longer fight Boko Haram with old weapons.
It was reported that dozens of women and children had since Saturday forcefully stopped military trucks from transporting their husbands and fathers to Gwoza where Boko Haram has taken over the town.
The protesters blocked the gates of the barracks that houses the 21 Armoured Brigade of the Nigerian Army, demanding quality fighting equipment for the soldiers.
Meanwhile, the spate of killings in Gwoza has engaged the women in the area in mass burials as Boko Haram attacks have left many males dead in the town.
http://leadership.ng/news/380745/bok...-protest-borno
Religion and Politics in Nigeria.
Just to add that religion features heavily in the run up to the 2015 elections here. Massive whisper campaign - opposition party (Muslim dominated) is being painted as "Muslim Brotherhood", allusions to "Boko Haram", "Worldwide Jihad"...
These undercurrents tend to be ignored by Western analysts, but they do matter.
Which Muslim Brotherhood?
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Originally Posted by
KingJaja
Just to add that religion features heavily in the run up to the 2015 elections here. Massive whisper campaign - opposition party (Muslim dominated) is being painted as "Muslim Brotherhood", allusions to "Boko Haram", "Worldwide Jihad"...
These undercurrents tend to be ignored by Western analysts, but they do matter.
Given the variety of approaches within the Mulsim Brotherhood (MB) over recent years, I cannot see this 'whisper' being that effective. Is it the MB led by Morsi in Egypt or those who rose in the 80's against the Assad regime?
There is a long running thread on the MB:http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...read.php?t=891
An Australian was on the ground
Two stories about an Australian Dr Davis, a self-described "amateur peacemaker" from Perth, with some experience of negoitations in Nigeria, tried to rescue the kidnapped girls - taken in April 2014:http://www.smh.com.au/world/how-amat...#ixzz3CN8yQOK6
He is not an optimist:
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When Boko Haram links up with ISIL - and there is interaction between the two - and with [terrorist group] al-Shabbab, that triangle is going to be the new home of terrorism like the world has not seen....The guys before - there was no kidnapping, no rape. They wouldn't kidnap women or children, because that was contrary to the Koran. Now these guys will do anything, they are a totally different breed.
Second story (they are different):http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-2...-girls/5699676
Comparison of Nigerian Army operations in Sierra Leone/Liberia & against Boko Haram
Interesting comparison of the similarity in behaviour of the Nigerian Army in Sierra Leone/Liberia & in its present operations against Boko Haram.
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The most striking and worrying similarity between the current conflict and the operations in Liberia and Sierra-Leone is the fluid stalemate that has now developed between the military and Boko Haram. By this I mean that on the one hand the insurgency is now in strategic stalemate – Boko Haram’s aspiration of an Islamic State in Nigeria remains a pipe dream; similarly, a comprehensive military victory against the sect seems unlikely for now. On the other hand however, battlefield conditions on the ground is characterised by tactical fluidity. The frequent loss and recapture of towns and villages by the military, and Boko Haram’s ability to move heavily armed operatives in large convoys with impunity in significant sections of the northeast illustrate this fluid and rapidly changing situation on the ground.
The outcome of Nigeria’s armed interventions in Liberia and Sierra-Leone can also be described as fluid stalemates. In neither country was the military able to achieve its strategic objective of breaking the rebels’ war-fighting resolve. In both countries while the Nigerian army controlled the capitals; in Liberia the rebels controlled the rest of the country, whilst in Sierra-Leone it was the northern half by December 1998. And in both missions, despite the strategic stalemate – i.e. neither the rebels nor the Nigerian military completely vanquished the other – the tactical situation on the ground was highly fluid as battlefield fortunes ebbed and flowed.
http://janguzaarewa.blogspot.co.uk/2...rrent-war.html
The Boko Haram insurgency, by the numbers
This graphic is enough for some, but SWC needs more. So a couple of passages:
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The data makes clear that Boko Haram-related violence is the most lethal conflict that Nigeria
has confronted in decades. Since 1998, at least 29,600 Nigerians have been killed in more than 2,300 incidents reflecting a wide range of ethnic, religious, political and economic tensions across large portions of the country. Since July 2009, when the Boko Haram conflict escalated, at least 11,100 people have died on all sides of the insurgency.
Then there's always WAWA:
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Political rulers, when confronted by an approaching existential threat, might normally be expected to mobilize national resources to
aggressively confront the insurgency. Yet Nigeria’s elites seem to be detached, mired in political infighting, or distracted by opportunities to profit from poorly monitored security budgets.
Link:http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...y-the-numbers/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-app...ram.jpg&w=1484
The linked article explains the origin of the data