Nigeria 2013-2017

[KingJaja]

Nigerians don't need any guidence from Sri Lanka as they are well acquainted targeting civilians when the armed groups are too difficult to find.

I suggest that this is merely a 'trick' to justify the only approach they know... so when the bodies of the civilians begin to pile up they will have a excuse saying they are merely following the Sri Lankan doctrine.

Your comment on the legalistic approach to war is correct in that - certainly in Afghanistan - you have hog-tied your troops to the extent the Taliban can and will declare victory. You can see this can't you?

Let me also add that save French intervention, Ivory Coast would have been at least two separate nations: one on the coast & another in the North. France moved to preserve its colonial sphere of influence there.

The thing is this - as time goes on, French & US ability to do these sorts of interventions wanes - the birth rates in the Sahel are frightening & there's no way a few French thousand troops will be able to restore order indefinitely.

So Africa is reverting more natural borders - that would be a major story of this Century.

[JMA]

You keep looking for excuses... mainly colonialism.

Of course these countries are imploding... through total mismanagement and a lack of governance.

My point is rather than as is happening - just letting it all fall apart - is for the countries themselves to at least attempt to control the process.

No leadership, no foresight, no nothing.

... and the US hasn't got the foggiest idea of whats going on and how to assist with the process.

Let me also add that save French intervention, Ivory Coast would have been at least two separate nations: one on the coast & another in the North. France moved to preserve its colonial sphere of influence there.

The thing is this - as time goes on, French & US ability to do these sorts of interventions wanes - the birth rates in the Sahel are frightening & there's no way a few French thousand troops will be able to restore order indefinitely.

So Africa is reverting more natural borders - that would be a major story of this Century.

[ganulv]

Let me also add that save French intervention, Ivory Coast would have been at least two separate nations: one on the coast & another in the North. France moved to preserve its colonial sphere of influence there.

No doubt that France is paternalistic towards its former colonies. The intervention in Côte d'Ivoire would seem to me to be motivated by the desire to maintain stability, in the same way that serving as the guarantor of the CFA does. Not to be flippant, but ensuring a steady supply of cocoa would not seem to me to be worth the effort. I am far from an expert in the area, though, so I could be wrong.

So Africa is reverting more natural borders - that would be a major story of this Century.

Or is the human geography reshuffling itself within the post-colonial political geography, as Joshua Landis suggests is happening in Syria and Iraq?

[KingJaja]

No doubt that France is paternalistic towards its former colonies. The intervention in Cte d'Ivoire would seem to me to be motivated by the desire to maintain stability, in the same way that serving as the guarantor of the CFA does. Not to be flippant, but ensuring a steady supply of cocoa would not seem to me to be worth the effort. I am far from an expert in the area, though, so I could be wrong.



Or is the human geography reshuffling itself within the post-colonial political geography, as Joshua Landis suggests is happening in Syria and Iraq?

Anyone who lives in Sub Saharan Africa (not South Africa) will know how meaningless colonial borders are - you can move by speedboat from Uyo in Nigeria to Malabo. Boko Haram moves from one meaningless colonial border to another - people on all sides are the same.

The problem is that certain key states in Africa are growing weaker internally, not stronger - so why wouldn't Yorubas in Benin Republic associate more with Yorubas in Nigeria? A bit more like "ethnic nationalism" in 19th and 20 Century Europe.