Cameroonian troops
VOICE OF AMERICA
27 August, 2014
by Moki Edwin Kindzeka
Cameroon says its military has killed some 30 suspected Boko Haram militants who attacked areas where 480 Nigerian troops had crossed over during a battle with the insurgents. Nigeria said the troops crossed over while making a tactical maneuver.
Cameroon’s state radio reports government troops beat back two attempts by suspected Boko Haram militants to enter the country’s northern territory through a locality that shares a boundary with Nigeria’s Borno state, stronghold of the militant group.
During a confrontation Tuesday, the soldiers killed 11 insurgents while 16 more were killed in an earlier attack on Monday. Cameroonian soldiers seized heavy weapons and destroyed one of the vehicles the militants were using.
The attack took place in areas where Nigerian soldiers had crossed over during a battle with the insurgents. The Nigerian military said the soldiers handed their weapons to Cameroonian authorities in line with standard practice and as an indication that they were not on any offensive against Cameroon.
After the attacks, Cameroon’s state radio announced that the country’s president, Paul Biya, had ordered that the Nigerian soldiers be escorted back to their country. “The head of state has instructed that the columns of Nigerian soldiers who entered Cameroonian territory should be camped in specific locations and supervised by the Cameroonian army.
The Nigerian soldiers have been provided feeding,medical treatment and fuel on instructions of the head of state. At the same time the process of accompanying the Nigerian soldiers back to their country is under way under Cameroonian military escort,” said Biya.
Colonel Didier Badjeck,a Cameroon military spokesman,told VOA that allegations made in Cameroonian media that the incidence was a defection were unfounded, but added that they were particularly careful over the presence of the Nigerian soldiers as Boko Haram militants could also disguise as a regular army and attack them.
He said people should support but allow the Cameroon army to handle the situation and fight Boko Haram as professional soldiers. He adds that they cannot neglect details in a war front and are consequently examining any potential actions of Boko Haram.
Cameroon shares much of Nigeria’s porous northeastern border. Boko Haram militants been blamed for a rise in kidnappings,fighting and criminal acts across the border from Nigeria’s Borno state.
Many surrounding villages where Boko Haram gunmen carry out attacks regularly are becoming increasingly deserted.
Beegeagle's Blog 
Which one do we believe? 480 Nigerian soldiers flee from Boko Haram, seek refuge in Cameroon.
Nigeria’s 480 soldiers stray into Cameroon in tactical maneuver fighting Boko Haram.
Just to be fair, 480 Nigerian fight Boko, no reports of any casualties from NA DHQ…were they fighting or playing?
480 Nigerian soldiers flee into Cameroon being out-numbered. Is it easy to out-number a battalion, how many Bokos were there?
Why flee into Cameroon that cannot save itself when real kata kata burst, is it not easy to run back into Nigeria towards base?
All I know is that Cameroon is using Nigeria to shine and make itself look better.
War stories, you won’t know who to believe, no be today, na since the time of Robin Hood Vs Kings Army.
Who dey fear Cameroon self, we dey submit guns? Who? Abegiiii ! Hey Paul Biya, I chase some Bokos that came from your country, they ran back to your side, I pursue them, no vex, when I kill them finish, I go give you their dead body if you want count how many.
If Nigeria is a real military power like Algeria, mighty on land, sea, and air, would we be paying courtesy to weaker Cameroon? America enter Pakistan kill Osama Bin Laden without permit or announcement and went back home, did US Navy seals surrender their weapons to Pakistani army according to international law?
Olukolade my Oga Brigadier, na Cameroon you dey salute like that? When Nigeria’s life is hanging by a thread from ceiling fan? 177 million people bowing to 22 million people, Ah ! When big suffer push you for ground, small suffer go climb you for head. Pity !
Oga augustine sometimes you put others in the unenviable tasks of defending incompetent Nigerian military commanders. Understand this Nigeria needs Cameroon for a lot of classified reasons that we should not go into right now like the proverbial mouse that was set free by the Lion.It is the mouse’s turn to set the lion free by biting through the net.
Just like during Nigeria’s civil war ,Nigeria needs cameroon to close their borders military wise.No 480 soldiers did not defect nor as I erroneously alluded did the commander have poor map reading skills for that I sincerely apologize. Last but not least if you want to believe the cameroonian soldierskilled
The cameroonian soldiers killed all those insurgents and 480 soldiers of which none could shoot straight,then I have got a piece of swampy land .I want to sell you.This much I will tell you. For very expedient political reasons any boko haram insurgents killed on cameroonian territory will and shall be claimed by the crack fighting Bir. To understand the rest of the story watch a tv show called game of thrones.
Oh by the way a battalion consists of 776 men with approximately 76 officers.480 would consits of 4 companies of men with 120 men in each company.
Oga Jimmy, I see your points, makes sense, but let us not make Cameroon feel they have the key to Nigeria’s survival, if I am GEJ, I will tell Biya, join my fight on my side, or else if I go down, you too will sink. Might is always right even when it is wrong.
Chad and Niger Republique have treated us better than Cameroon in this war, Cameroon strongly envies Nigeria’s giant status, however, Biya likes Nigeria I have no doubt, he likes us the way we handed over Bakassi that his weak army could not take by force.
If I have power, I will close that Cameroon border, and anything that crosses to Naija, even if it is a lizard, I will shoot it.
Oga, army orbat has gone haywire these days o, every army just they do wetin them like across the world, some modernized armies now make 400 men their own full battalion. Funny but real. I would prefer a battalion of 1,000 men if I own an army.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/boko-haram-50000-members-camp-bbog/
There was a report on Arise news today, in which the “australian negotiator” claimed that opposition politicians are actively funding boko haram.
It is sad that Nigeria cannot set-up assassination teams to take out these unpatriotic animals, thus eliminating their source of funding…
The Nation piles it on. This is obviously a fable, cutting and paying stories from other media and representing to make things look really bad.
http://thenationonlineng.net/new/cameroon-kills-27-militants-to-save-480-nigerian-troops/
*cutting and pasting*
Gwoza:
The video of the attack on Gwoza shows us several interesting things. Much like the last video of the attack on Giwa Barracks gave us an opportunity to analyse Boo Harams fighting abilities we in this case use this video to analyse the Nigeria Army and its tactics.
The attack showed insurgents supported by pickup trucks mounted with 12.7mm and 14.5mm heavy weapons. The dismounted insurgents were variously armed with AK 47s, PK and GPMG medium machine guns and RPGs. General weapon handling across all variants were poor, with limited aimed or controlled shots however the volume of fire from the enemy was sustained.
The enemy advanced up the main road with dismounts moving up the road and on the flanks.
There was limited return fire.
Without knowing the full context of the video it is difficult to judge the Nigeria Armys performance but the footage of captured ammunition, armoured vehicles and artillery pieces indicates an understrength unit taken by surprise or an extremely poor effort by the friendly forces commander.
Working on the assumption that the footage refers to the same event, we can conclude that the base had at least on 105mm light gun (range about 10km) several vehicles (including a ZSU 23-4 and T55) non of which were denied to the enemy.
So with these assets assuming one has 2 infantry companies how would I have defended Gwoza?
Defence would be aggressive and multi layered based on 3 zones Deep, Close, Rear
Deep Zone: consists of the area surrounding the town.
Minimum 2 platoons would be needed for this task. One platoon would have permanent VCPs along the entry and exit roads each manned by a multiple of 12 men. In between these VCPs the second platoon would actively be on patrol.
Potential enemy avenues of approach, forming up points, fire support positions etc would be identified and registered as mortar and artillery Defensive Fire (DF) points. In the event of an attack the enemy will either be forced to bypass the VCPs leaving themselves vulnerable to flank or rear attack or else they would need to attack the VCPs and destroy them, giving friendly forces thee opportunity to fix them and neutralise with artillery and then counter attack with the mobile platoon.
For this reason the VCPs must have reinforced bunkers and watchtowers. If a VCP is about to be overrun an immediate counter attack is to be launched by the mobile platoon, with the QRF from the main FOB coming out to either defeat the enemy attack or if the base s overrun, evacuate the multiple and any casualties.
The Deep zone serves to provide early warning of attack, attrite and slow down enemy forces and dominate the ground around the town
Close Zone: this is the area of the town itself. The terrain lends itself to several things such as a channelling, mobile defence, defence in depth, harassment and rapid local counter attacks.
Channelling: Gwoza is hemmed in by hills and fed by a single road. Thus it should be easy to channel motorised enemy forces into designated killing zones using obstacles such as walls, overturned vehicles, sand filled drums etc to barrier off access routes, in the case of the video they obligingly came down the main road. This main road should be completely dominated by artillery, and mortars. Machine guns and snipers should be on the surrounding hills in defined Mobile support teams. These Mobile support teams should consist of 2 x machine guns and 2 x snipers or sharpshooters, 1 x 60mm mortar, commanded by a Sergeant or Senior Corporal with 2 extra men for local protection and ammo resupply.
Mobile defence: if the enemy is successfully channelled into the designated killing zones, then it should be destroyed by support fires, if this takes place and the enemy is halted then the mobile defence platoon moves in once fire is lifted to destroy the enemy in detail through close combat. If the enemy succeeds in bypassing or overcoming the obstacles then the mobile defence platoon will then close with an engage them, using cover from the buildings to suck enemy forces into deliberate ambushes. The friendly commander should have walked all the avenues of approach and identified potential enemy fire support and forming up positions. These should be booby trapped with command detonated anti vehicle and anti personnel mines. If manufactured ones are not available they can be very easily improvised.
Thus in the case that the obstacles are breached, bypassed or simply overwhelmed, the mobile defence platoon, will engage in a slow fighting withdrawal, sucking the enemy into killing zones. Vehicles should be enticed into streets where they can’t properly deploy their weapon systems where they can be destroyed by grenades, RPGs or small arms, dismounts should be lured into buildings or open areas. If the enemy still presses on the mobile defence platoon fights until it falls back to the FOB.
Another platoon will operate either in coordination or independent of the mobile defence platoon counter attacking and retaking positions overrun by the enemy, infiltrating behind them to ambush their echelon and follow up forces. This platoon could also have the ZSU 23-4 or tank attached to provide fire support or spearhead attacks.
This platoon and the MSTs will also harass the enemy with machine gun, sniper/ sharpshooter fire and mortars. This fires will be used independently however priority given to neutralising commanders, heavy weapons operators and drivers.
The objective of the Close Zone is to break up the enemy’s attack by channelling them into killing zones in order to defeat them in detail.
Rear Zone: the rear zone is the FOB in itself. As can be seen it is dominated by hills making it an ideal location to defend. The Final defensive positions will be on the hills. There should always be at least one section or platoon on standing patrol in the hills day and night. These will provide early warning of any attempted infiltration by dismounted enemy through this area. They will also act as forward observation posts for artillery, mortar or air strikes. Once the alarm is sounded for enemy attack, another platoon and the mobile support teams (MST) will be moved up to occupy trenches in overwatch position while the standing patrol provides rear and flank protection. The rifles platoons will man their trenches, while the MSTs will provide fire support to the VCPs and mobile defence platoon. The FOB itself will be surrounded by fox holes, with communication trenches leading back to the FOB itself. The FOB will have sangars mounted with machine guns dominating the approaches and covering the front of the fox holes. Once the alarm is sounded the foxholes will be occupied.
Within the FOB will be a Quick Reaction Force (QRF), using the tank and other armoured vehicles, the QRF will be used to plug holes in the defence, relieve the VPCs and other forward units mount local counter attacks, evacuate wounded, take forward ammunition. Once the attack begins all non essential staff (cooks, clerks etc) will be formed into a FOB defence platoon and will be used to replace wounded men, evacuate casualties, resupply ammo and water and defend the Command Post
The area surrounding the FOB will be surrounded by obstacles, grass and trees cut back to 200m, and low barbed wire entanglements and razor wire. Command detonated anti personnel and anti vehicle mines will be set up to cover obstacles, dead ground etc. This channels vehicles up the access road which will be covered by the sangars, mortars, artillery, foxholes and mines.
If the enemy pushes through the artillery, mortars and machine guns will provide covering fire so the men in the fox hole can fall back into the FOB, these will take up position in the FOB which will have further foxholes ad fire positions. If the walls are breached the artillery will fire over open sights until over run and then sights taken and breech blocked.
The essence of the defence is that each position supports and overlaps the other, meaning each positions can fire in front of or onto the one to the left or right. If a sangar or bunker falls the others can shoot onto it. If the FOB is about to be overrun, a ordered withdrawal is then initiated to the fall back positions on the hills covered by fire by the MSTs and overwatch platoon. Once friendly troops consolidate in the hills and immediate counter attack should be launched to push the enemy out of the FOB. At this point the enemy would have sustained significant casualties and expended most of their ammunition thus would be vulnerable to a swift aggressive counter attack.
If the counter attack fails and there are no friendly forces available to assist in retaking the FOB, then it must be destroyed by air or artillery strikes, to prevent weapons, maps, ammunition or vehicles falling into enemy hands.
If the enemy decides to kindly forgo using the main road and attacks via the hills / bush then the overwatch platoon should provide early warning, if not they will immediately counter attack to the flanks and rear. If they do detect the enemy infiltration they are to form a defensive line and immediately call in artillery and mortars on the enemy, if the enemy keeps advancing they are to engage, if they retreat they are to pursue. Once the alarm is given 2 platoons are to move up into the hills, one will act as reserve occupying the trenches while the other joins the overwatch platoon engaging the enemy. The enemies line of retreat or advance should be considered (again by preplanning, with the friendly commander identifying likely enemy approach routes) and a combat element detached to rapidly outflank them and set up an ambush in their rear.
This avenue of attack affords the enemy a longer covered approach to the town but also denies them support from their vehicles and leaves them vulnerable to the superior marksmanship and skill of the infantry. However they also have the advantage of not wearing body armour, webbing or helmets thus can move faster in the hilly terrain.
The 3rd option we’ll consider (there are many more) is of both attacks at once, with dismounts through the hills ad vehicles on the roads. The same defensive plans apply, except the mobile defence platoon should be able to destroy more vehicles as they would have less infantry support.
It would mean that units will have to be more tightly controlled as the infantry platoons will have to shuttle from area to area but other than increasing the headache of the commander and burning up radio batteries the same defence plans can be used
Note that this plan does not involve aircraft, tanks (beyond the one seen in the video), helicopters, or any other asset not organic to an infantry company or seen in the video.
Gwoza should not have fallen
Oga Peccavi, bulls eye shot you fired…More of this please.
Now thats what i want to see our Officers doing….Nice plan Chief Peccavi. That video still irks me!!!
On the “understrength units” I think you have my agreement there. I suspect this FOB had less than 30men at the time of attack. Where did everyone go. Normal rotation, desertion, patrol duties?. I think BH launched an opportunitistic and cowardly attack which upon reflection is probably what they should be doing. They even had tome and opportunity to make a video. All the same some middle and top level officers deserve some heavy knocks on the head.
OGA PECCAVI
God bless you for your very important points there are times, I wish the Nigerian Army would hire you as an analysts. I am being very sincere because you have been through it, I have not, I have a dangerous job where fatalities have occurred but it is not the same.
I wanted to add to very important points and please correct me if I am wrong because as a Civil ENGINEER we constantly study the topography of the land. The commander of the base in my opinion as hostilities commenced in Damboa about 100 kilometers away , should of done a) Had the 105 MM towed or dragged to higher ground out side Damboa through possible a partially inaccessible route scouted by the commander himself, from their either by radio contact or a runner they should of been pouring shell after shell into the vicinity of the main thrust with the some of the shells timed to detonate (burst over head ) just like the Germans in ww2. b) To the west of this arty a berm/ bench should of being built and at a much closer distance the TANK should of being used as kind of roving killing machine firing on predetermined targets.
This is my beef with the commander of both the army and the airforce.The army commander @ the very list could of damaged/ made inoperable the tank by very simple crude means, remove the firing pin , remove the battery, pour sugar or sand in the main fuel tank,, let the fuel out and strike a match. The arty piece the same just remove the firing pin or even take a knife and stab the tires and immobilize. More deviously would of been to booby trap the tank .
The airforce commander also has a lot to account for this attack occurred in daylight one plane to specifically take out the technicals is all that was sufficient, also the failure to volunteer to Airlift the arty piece to higher ground is indictment of not just the air commander but also AN INDICTMENT OF THE LACK OF FOCUS OF BOTH THE ARMY AND THE AIR FORCE TO TELL THE PRESIDENT THAT THEY NEED helicopters that can carry heavy artillery pieces(airlift capacity) to HILLY AREAS ( higher ground) INSTEAD WE ARE STILL BUYING VVIP UTILITY HELIOS.
What to do next:
The Emir of Gwoza has suffered a lot his father was killed, he was abducted, escaped and he is public enemy no.1 for the boko haram. The GOC of the 7th needs to be brutally honest with him . He needs to tell him it is going to get worse much worse before it gets better, his palace which is being used as a command center by bh will be bombed to the ground and burnt to the ground they need his help with infiltration with his wives and subject that are left in the city to detail where the enemy is located in force. He also needs to be taken up in the air to show all the known and unknown access points into GWOZA this is his city, this is his fief if he wants it back, if he wants to reduce the amount of civilian casualties he needs to help. Covert message need to be sent as to Intel back and forth. He also needs to be given a special license to carry limited arms for his personal security by the department of defense and dss.GWOZA also needs to be taken at night or very early on a Friday ( jimoh) during prayers.The NA and the NAF must learn dragging kicking and screaming to fight in the dead of night and then wait for the inevitable counter attack that will occur all day during BROAD DAYLIGHT for the NAF to take advantage off.The battle to retake gwoza should be filmed from start to finish from the air it is not for public consumption it is for the chief of army ‘s staff and the chief of airstaff ‘s consumption they honestly need to see how their commanders act under pressure.
When the inevitable counter attack occurs a bird needs to be put up in the air the CAS and the COAS need to see how their men attack from the air and on the ground and how their commanders react when they are being counterattacked, this is something they need to see in real time without any interference from junior officers trying to please oga they need to see video footage and in their own minds make judgement calls on ” the good , the bad and the ugly.”
Good blue print @General Peccavi.
Gwoza should NEVER have fallen, yes boko had sustained continous fire , but it wasn’t enough for there to be an almost zero return fire.
I expected that there should have been forward observation/ defensive positions that would have instituted some form of expected contingency response. For goodness sake this is a battle zone they should be expecting incursion even full assaults on the base 24/7. The matter is not IF but WHEN particularly if NA are not proactive on the offensive hunting them down.
Those vehicles had to have driven at least 25/30 km possibly even further to get to Gwoza without being sighted ??? shouldn’t the Boko advance if not halted at least have been slowed down considerably. Even a couple of snipers taking out the boko technicals which are largely inaccurate, don’t we have 50 cal. sniper rifles a bullet in the engine block ends the technical and the exposed gunner is easy picking. I doubt if we have incendiary round otherwise that completes the job and I am talking at 1000metres+
Essentially you render that large column largely ineffective without their technicals and leave the foot soldiers as easy pickings for support troops to mop up and what’s left of our armour to engage with little threat from boko.
The question I ask can things be this bad with the NA? Our equipment so far is largely 25+ years old we don’t have any dedicated IFV platform with remote weapon stations.
From what i can see even with that edited video from Boko it looks like we are far from the ascendency in this conflict.
To further add insult to injury it seems it was the troops from Gwoza that fled to Cameroon for safety in what our PR called a tactical withdrawal manoeuvre.
This just don’t make sense Cameroon entire army is 20,000 and we have probably more that in just the NE, WHAT IS GOING ON ??
The propaganda machinery of bh is having a field day. What make us think the victory the Cameroonian military is claiming was not jointly achieved with our boys, these Cameroonians will surely regret every ill they do to us because we must come out of this war strong and intact and then we would have known and seen our real enemies and would profile and payback accordingly……90 days for the thief, one day for the…… Besides, a lot of Cameroonians are doubting this whole fuse about their army escorting ours to safety while others are feeling too good. Smacks of some cheap propaganda.
Oga Donian007 my boss, Shebi na we dey submit 480 guns to Cameroon. If na me, I no go do o ! Let Cameroon attack 480 Nigerian troops that hot pursued back into Cameroon, the same Bokos that invaded us from Cameroon….let them attack our army now !
Nigeria falls from ECOWAS power to be saluting Cameroon.
Did American US Navy seals submit guns to Pakistani army after they chased Osama Bin Laden into Pakistan without entry permit? The entered without notice or approval, killed their enemy and flew out with his body, did Pakistan do anything? Did they lose friendship?
Nigeria respecting Cameroon this much is a shame, I don’t care if I offend people with my opinion. A giant should be a giant, power should be power, might is always right even when it is wrong….Israel, USA, Russia, are they not using their might and power to their own advantage alone? Everyone else is never important except them.
Nigeria crawls like that to Cameroon after over 5,000 Nigerians died in 4 years from Boko Haram….No wonder we begged France to help us beg Cameroon in Paris to help us fight Boko Haram.
Nigeria has become a paper Tiger…Fact !
.
True, Nigeria has become a paper tiger.
BUT, note that every hegemon, be it Greece, Rome, Britain, Spain, U.S, china etc has been a paper tiger at some point of it’s life cycle.
Nigeria will not be an exception…
Nigeria is facing these challenges now, and will definitely be stronger for it- in the long run.
Oga Augustine, i respect your hustle sir.
But Oga, you to like film trick sha. Omo, see levels oh. Are you indirectly saying that even after the explicit description given by top echelon, you still deem it fit to agitate for a nonsensical, agro-driven rift between neighbors? If you permit me to ask sir, what sort of inferiority complex makes you feel like Nigeria has to battle Cameroon to prove something. Oga we have nothing to prove, numbers don’t lie, please i’ll advise us to desist from this reckless and short sighted path of dueling with neighbors, its arduous and results in nothing but animosity. How can you refer to the virtue of respecting ones neighbor as a shame, shame on who? the country that knows the most about what war means or a country led by one man who seems eager to die on the throne. Please sir, you’ll best be advised to choose your steps wisely, moreover, choose your words smartly. Nigeria is by far the largest independent economy in Africa, with diplomatic ties spanning all continents, respectfully requesting a sit-down with France was not only smart but necessary, so as to cover our asses, if you catch my drift. Oga, chilax, the enemy is haramites, not Cameroon, or any other country. If you cannot see the writing on the wall that’s eagerly pushing for a war between these countries then look again, because naivety cannot be an excuse sir.
Oga Rugged7, i respect your hustle sir.
I suggest, the correct and most suitable description of Nigeria right now is one with a nascent military industrial complex. Just like we now produce all cement needed in country, just like we shortly will produce all petrochemicals, cars, in-country, e.t.c. Nigeria will soon see the need to start to produce more military equipment in-country. Yes, then and only then will, fiscal and monetary regulators feel comfortable enough to open the purse wider to accommodate and sustain local private defense companies in all their ramifications because that helps the economy as well. So yes, we need to produce more, i suggest we all get working.
Oga Quota, that one na long thing. Only four Helicopter gun ships will get the job done. Unlike before they now hAve a defined base or territory. Unlike before now we know where they are 24/7, get some choppers in the air, get some light attack crafts in the air. Straff and pound their positione for 24 hours non stop, alternating within sorties, take out their vehicles and kill as many of their fighters as possible. Quarantine the area, no going out no going in like what the Americans did in the battle of Faluja. With their vehicles out escaping militants will be mowed down our armoured and machine gunnets. Paratroopers will be used. Special forces and at least 3 thousand men. Boko Haram Wi
L be defeated in 2 days.
I don’t think we have the 4 choppers ready for 24/7 operations as you are suggesting.
Oga Arejames You are right .For those who are holding the purse strings and want me to be optimistic. One of the signs that this war is going to end is when helicopters start flying 24/7 whether they have 24 helios @one for each hour of the day or three right now it is irrelevant.The airforce has not beenunable to field night helios on a nightly basis I.e dusk to dawn.as such this war will drag on. Rugged 7 mentioned a very important that emphasized learning bitter lesson from mistakes.This is where Nigeria, the question does the presidency really want exercise statemanship by buying the helios, aircraft, and do most importantly the right thing. T-Mobile. America’s First Nationwide 4G Network
Also some airforce officer told a friend of mine they might have run out of bombs and missiles.
Dont know why we dont even make these things ourselves, and these are even dumb iron bombs of technology dating back to WWII.
Our Defense strategists are really deep asleep!!! Good thing is that this whole imbroglio has well and truly woken them all up.
Augustine, 420 armed soldiers going deep into Cameroon I am territory is nothing short of an armed invasion of a sovereign state. You will give France the excuse they need to fuvk us up.
Oga Oje, i respect your hustle sir.
Hahahahahaha, abi ohh, see me see wahala ohh, we are fighting haramites, some people want us to add Cameroon and papa France join, lolololol. Like agro dey catch some people, shuoo. Responsible thing to do, you penetrate their territory, drop your guns, live to fight another day. France wey dey find serious fight. they know where to get it, obviously that’s why we are been poked, they want a serious reaction. But Nigeria’s just to level headed for that, our democratic mode of government makes it impossible for unilateral actions without a well thought out plan, unfortunately, that also has its downsides, so, na so ebi.
Make no mistake, Cameroon is mo military threat to Nigeria, despite the razz matter they know this. 15,000 men is no match for a $150,000 man army, 32 thousand reservists and 300,000 paramilitary. Fighting boko haram will not be like fighting the Cameroon Ian army. The fact 500 soldiers could penetrative 0 kilometers deep inside Cameroon Ian territory proves this. Can Chad in or Cameroon Ian soldiers drive deep into Nigetian territory?
THIS IS WHAT OGA AUGUSTINE :
Failed to understand thank you oga oje.
Very strong allegations against france, u.s, britain and northern politicians…. As well as uncanny insight into boko haram.
http://www.arise.tv/headline/arise-news-now-uk-28-08-8043
Cameroonian troops shell boko haram inside nigeria territory
http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/cameroonian-troops-shell-boko-haram-camp-inside-nigeria_1461776.html
Insult added to injury. DHQ keep it up. We will soon contract out the entire BH containment job to a PMC. And by the way, no pensions after forced retirement.
zee news have taken the news from AFP. Zee news has no (probably) reporters on ground in the area mentioned.
Cameroonian military firing artillery inside into Nigerian territory? Are you shitting me?
I shit you not, brother. To make matters worse it seems to have been very effective.
And now we are supposed to believe a media outlet that has nobody , nobody ! on the ground ?
Let us be careful. OGA OZED , I really find that hard to believe that they(NAF) have run out of bombs the airforce was heavily involved in Damboa which is less than a 100 klicks away FROM Gwoza i.e less than one hour for a helicopter talk less an alpha jet.The NAF has to do a better job of sensitizing the presidency about how much more equipment they REALLY need and the fact that they need it now.
Just viewed the link. Thats not shelling, thats their armored cavalry at work. We are reported to have 350 Tanks, where are they? How can an army of Tanks and artillery peaces with more than 15 kilometer range be defeated by AK-47 wielding Islamists, sacking several military bases and making away with millions of naira worth of hardware? How can a country that runs the biggest and most ambitious Space programme, spending millions of dollars and putting into orbit five satellites, the bulk of them remote sensing fail to detect large convoys of Boko Haram fighters who drive kilometers unopposed to attack an army base. If it takes Cameroonian success to silence Boko Haram and put us to shame before the world so be it.
Thumbs up Paul Biya, show these Haramites what it means for ragtag boys to fight an army.
http://odili.net/news/source/2014/aug/28/857.html
Very good development.
The news has reached Australia !
Cameroon’s army firing shells into Nigerian territory without permission from Abuja.
Now my Ogas Oje and Jimmy, go tell Cameroon to surrender their artillery shells and guns to Nigerian army the same way we humiliated ourselves surrendering to Cameroon 480 Nigerian army guns purchased to defend our fatherland being invaded by Boko Haram murders and rapists from Cameroon.
Nigeria has turned itself into an international laughing stock and a coward in disguise.
Truth hurts !
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/world/a/24842611/cameroon-troops-shell-boko-haram-camp-inside-nigeria/
Truth hurts !
See the source. Both Zee news and this have sourced the news from AFP.
Oga Augustine, I respect your hustle sir.
Its clear now, but please feel free to correct me if i’m wrong. You are one of those people who would rather be an Australian than a Nigerian. You will rather be a Cameroonian than a Nigerian. In fact, i lay bold to say that, you detest and hate anything Nigerian. You are one of those people who live in another country, and despite what Nigeria has given you, you are ashamed to say where you are from because you just wished you weren’t born in Nigeria. respectfully sir, It seems like you are lost. Indeed, nothing stops you from being a citizen of any of those countries, in fact, nothing stops you from agitating for a better military, we all do. But, please sir, if you really hate Nigeria so much, as evident in your language, which country has decided to accept you? because i am a Nigerian. Tell us that country which you love so much, let us know, abegi, so we can shove this nonsensical gibberish right back at you, every one’s got their flaws, no need to be rude and condescending about it. Oga, watch your tone, respect its people, if you don’t respect its government. you hear me? that’s my truth, and it had better hurt you.
As regarding the supposed shells fired into Nigerian territory, did it ever cross your mind that both governments, more importantly Cameroon, have now come to realize the true state on ground? did it ever occur to you that maybe both governments now see the common enemy? why must everything be so black and white? take a chill pill oga,and expand your horizon, think outside the box, refuse to be confined to another mans perspective. How is it so easy for you to exude such hate without so much as a postscript? International laughing stock? The news has reached Australia? such green. where are they laughing? at a meeting somewhere and you where invited? hahahaha, the laughing stock is apparent to me, because you are the one who wants Nigeria to fight Cameroon rather than haramites, you are the one who wants us to wander into another mans territory without permission. Don’t be blinded by the hate oga, its easy to loose yourself. Please respond, you have to, lets hear if this was a result of inebriated vigor or your true self, so i can put you in your place, wherever that is, respectfully.
@mcshegz
You seem very proud of your country’s overall performance in this war. I wish you luck.
The western powers now have maps and coordinates of the entire country and its strategic locations, Cameroon has now tested its artillery guns on Nigeria and for any civilians affected by the ‘enemy’ shelling we say sorry. By extension of your arguments, if the pentagon comes and says the president should clear away from Aso Rock for a week to carry out some ‘surveillance’ on BH then the president should has well just pack his files and hats and shoo off to a guest house to run the country from there all in the spirit of “international cooperation against boko Haram”. You need to tell us what Cameroon has achieved with this abomination that the NAF could not have achieved with more accuracy, situational awareness and much less international embarrassment. Serious embarrassment at that, please understand that the news was leaked directly by Cameroon just has the un necessary disarming of 480 troops was leaked by AFP which is particularly strong on ground in that country. By the time the business men running our country finish with it I say there will be nothing left for our kids, not resources, not social, order, not culture and definitely not national pride. So more than $6bn spent in two years on defence we are at where Cameroon shells BH on Nigerian territory at our request, an almost complete battalion was disarmed, quartered and transported back into Nigeria and all the gory details released to the international community. Keep on cheering brother.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/identity-problem-frustrated-2011-post-election-violence-compensation-jonathan/
A few facts need to be put on the ground,
The initial bbc claim about Nigeria soldiers fleeing into Cameroon seems to suggest the fighting was going on in Gamboru Ngala ,the subsequent News about the shelling of Gamboru by Cameroon also suggest the Cameroonians shelled from Fotokol.
First, a google earth check of the towns mentioned above shows that they are side by side at the bother.
Secondly, south-east of Gamboru is a huge span of exposed land that can’t be used to manouver. So if boko-haram had pined our soldiers to the east(the cameroonian border),they can’t out -flank them from the south.The best they can do is enter Fotokol and turn north and re-enter Gamboru from the North,while holding a southern-eastern flank. The fact that Gamboru was eventualy shelled by Cameroon may also suggest that Nigeria and Cameroon co-operated and used a two prong attack, Nigerian infantry from the west and Cameroonian Armour from the East of the town,with bokoharam pinned in the centre(since the south is a killing field).
My two cents.
Check google earth for Gamboru.
There are serious sovereignty implications with permitting an external party to lob shells into your country. I hope your theory is not correct and even then the fact that it might be a unilateral is even more disturbing. To make things more pathetic, nigerian artillery assets are like ten times the number that cameroon has. Someone should make this picture clearer.
Look down below.at my explanation.
Oga Drag_on, I respect your hustle sir.
Indeed, i support your analysis, not just because it corroborates my earlier statement about collaborations between both countries but also because, it seems implausible that Cameroon will lob shells into Nigerian soil without authorization when Nigeria hasn’t done same, that will be suicidal, not just militarily but diplomatically, even more so for Paul Biya. Moreover, on account of the meeting with France and other France economically led nations, Nigeria, requested for more corporation from Cameroon, since the haramites have always had a field day on that border, I suppose this is evidence of such increased participation. Bottom line, the common enemy is now clear, no two ways about it, they have no where to run. But obviously shelling alone will not solve the problem, yes, maybe we hit them hard on their fairly land caliphate but the hardest work still involves information gathering and constant boarder surveillance, because kidnapping for ransom and other deviant tactics will continue to be their resort until they are finally purged.
EDIT.
Check google earth for Gamboru
By the way,Cameroon is France’s left hand around Nigeria,so you can be sure there are many French Intel services in the Far-North of Cameroon on the ground, monitoring and gathering intelligence on boko-haram. So don’t be suprised at the accuracy and decisiveness of Cameroon’s response.
@Bharat, I agree, both sourced from AFP.
Oga mcshegz, I don’t have time for play play so I won’t bother replying you point for point. You are entitled to your opinion as I am entitled to mine. You write based on what you know, I write based on what I know.
I have a right to defend Nigeria in my own way, not yours. You know what a man is? Okay, a man is a creature that says “This is where I stand alone”, and 1,000 people say “No, you must shift your ground or 1,000 people will deal with you !”. Then the lone man replies “You need to put a bullet through my skull before you can shift my dead body”. Oga mcshegz, I respect your hustle sir, but you need an AK-47 to make you shift my ground….my dead body.
France, Cameroon and Nigeria share Military INTEL.
I am not buying it. Every way you cast it still shows us in bad light. All Cameroon had to do was seal of the border and wedge BH in between …not lob shells out of country.
Anyway, i agree there has actually been more serious action against BH from their side compared to ours since the kidnapping of the regional PM’s wife. This would partly explain why BH is going for broke within Nigerian territory since our response to them has been a mere static one involving FOBs which are mere hostel accommodation for poorly trained and weakly armed troops and no ISR/close air support to make life difficult for them.
Thank you OGA drag _on
I did exactly what you said
Facts : Terrain goes from Flat lands in Gamboru till the time you get to Fotokol it becomes extremely Hilly . i am going to put my PERSONAL INTEGRITY on the line because OGA Augustine sometimes you need to calm down and understand the facts before jumping to conclusions LIKE BBC despite the press conference of the defence spokeperson chiding his own country’s newspapers to allow the” Cameroonian defence to do their job”
Facts There are two Fotokol One part is in the extreme Northern part of Nigeria the other part is in the extreme Northern part of Cameroon . These series of battles started in Gamboru through and up to Ngala the distance traveled illustrates the length of the battles, based on what Google map has shown no one was definitely surrendering or defecting to anybody the demarcation between the boundary of Cameroon and Nigeria is very thin and very tenuous sliced by the A3.
The 480 men were probably spread over a 4 mile radius as this battles raged. The commander of this battalion did not forget his map for that I apologize in avoiding the A3 highway and following Google maps the goal was to come behind the enemy in Fotokol on the Nigerian side to do that with 480 men and equipment you will end up like drag _on said you will end on the FOTOKOL of the Extreme North of the Cameroonian side. as per UN protocol and in order to reassure our CAMEROONIAN allies the Commander made the fateful decision which was the right one to do to contact his counterpart in Cameroon before crossing over.
Day 2 . After resting the Night intel was exchanged “something was exchanged”. The Nigerians then traveled back their units somewhere between GAMBORU and Fotokl please do not believe what was said in the papers on the Nigerian side directly behind bh or in layman’s terms they were sitting on bh ‘ass” bh were now sandwiched in between the Nigerian forces and the Cameroonian forces.
DAY2/3 (TUES/ WED) The Cameroonians were given coordinates of the horizontal and vertical positions and distances (latitudes and departures) this is extremely important in surveying as well as in THE MILTARY. …..By the Nigerian troops some of whom I suspect had serious artillery experience. The Cameroonians had no wayof knowing where bh were . The only way of knowing where bh camped for the night for their strikes to be that accurate they must of got intel from somewhere. No one then stands up like candles to get bombed and bombed again the instinct is to flee south on or of the A3 which would of been suicide this is how FOTOKOL NIGERIA became the killing field.Let Cameroon have all the credit .
I do not know whether CAMEROON even has Tanks that can can fire up to 5miles, I know they have limited artillery . I know Nigeria has artillery that can go up to 18 km , this is as far as I want to go. I will not speculate oga Peccavi when you get a chance please go to GOOGLE MAPS and put in the directions for these four places Gamboru, Ngala Fotokol extreme North, Nigeria, Fotokol Extreme North Cameroon and give us your honest opinion . Please accept my humble request.
YOURS SINCERELY
jimmy
P.S Thank you OGA DRAG_ON
The artillery we have are not gps precision munitions i.e Excalibur USA (very expensive but very accurate) you will at that range cause huge amounts of collateral damage and civilian casualties and probably miss boko targets completely.
You have to go into Gwoza after taking out boko technicals with our if operational mil 24/35 attack helicopters then send in tanks and supporting troops which means the Vickers mk 3, its got a stabilised 105mm gun pretty accurate and if we do a night assault we will have the advantage.
Furthermore its armour will not be penetrated by boko techs if any are left after the air assault and or Rpg7’s.
Nigeria bought a lot of UAVs (that was Ihejirika’s statement btw before someone asks me for proof). Anyway UAVs are very effective artillery spotting tools in case you don’t have precision GPs ammunitions.
EDIT.
Check Google earth for Gambaru, not Gamboru.
BOKO HARAM WINS MORE TERRITORY, ESTABLISHES GARRISON :
The Catholic Church on Thursday complained that Boko Haram insurgents had taken over the parish church house as well as houses of Christians in Madagali, Adamawa State.
Madagali town is the headquarters of the Madagali Local Government Area and it shares border with Borno State. It is also the closest town to Gwoza, the town that Boko Haram has already annexed.
The church, in an electronic press statement by the Director, Catholic Social Communications in-charge of the Maiduguri Diocese, Rev. Fr. Gideon Obasogie, said that though the members of Boko Haram had been known not to discriminate in their attacks, it however seemed that Christians and Christian institutions had been at the receiving end of the sect’s mayhem.
Obasogie said, “The whole town and the parish rectory have been occupied by the terrorists; so many structures and items have been vandalised. Dozens killed and a lot of church structures have been burnt down.”
“Christians in the town are really in a terribly situation; a moment of great persecution.
“Christian men are caught and beheaded; the women are forced to become Muslims and are taken as wives to the terrorists. The houses of Christians that have fled are now occupied by the insurgents.
“Their cars are used by the terrorists. Some Muslims around identify Christian homes to be occupied and the Christians in hiding were also identified and killed. Strict Sharia Law has been promulgated, as observed by a woman who luckily escaped the death zone.”
The priest said the situation had gone out of control. “People are finding it really hard, citizens are been killed in their numbers,” he added.
He said the Catholic Church had been compelled to close down all the churches on the major road linking Borno and Adamawa states because of acts of terrorism.
http://www.punchng.com/news/insurgents-take-over-madagali-catholic-church-house/
======================================================================
Somebody tell me why Nigeria should be sorry for chasing such evil invaders into Cameroon and follow some insane international rule of surrendering 480 Nigerian army guns to Cameroon.
If it is our own family brothers being beheaded, and our own wives or daughters that Boko Haram men are sleeping with, will we come here and give any talk about bowing to Cameroon?
I owe no apology for my stance, enough is enough of humiliating Nigerian men and women in the full view of the world !
If Nigeria has to become unfriendly with Cameroon to save our people from modern day 2014 slave trade and religious genocide plus degradation of human dignity, so be it.
Cowards die twice ! 177 million Nigerians should show they are not cowards !
How about the FED harvest this Ebola virus and weaponize it spray canisters. disperse it by aircraft on all BOKO territory and known routes, wild animals, drinking water you name it., even their women. infect every living object in BOKOSTAN.
Oga, are we supposed to take this in jest or are you for real?
Genius!!!. So tell us three months before actually starting the spraying of these aerosolized Ebola so that we process visas and buy airline tickets for a three year vacation away from west africa.
XD
Hey, fellow countrymen, don’t despair, for this is the outcome of your choosing.
Had Colonel Eeben, a hardened experienced SADF veteran been allowed 2 years ago, to orient an outfit to hunt , kill and neutralize BH, as he and his colleges did RUF in sierra leone, and Unita in angola, we wouldn’t be in this confused, hopeless and embarrassing place today.
Like every thing in life, folks are good at somethings , and bad at others. We as a nation, and NA that represents us has proven that we are not cut out for this.
A smart person would use what you have, ( oil money in our case) , to get what you want/ need ( counterinsurgency expertise )
But when you choose to “wing it ” or ” grope in the dark” for solutions, that history has evidenced that you are not capable off, you get chaos, and eventually a failed state.
20 years ago, NA crossed paths with Colonel Eeben and the executive outcomes in sierra leone.
We had the benefit of some cooperation, but chose not to recognize our Achilles heel.
After EO’s masterful display of counterinsurgency operations, NA carried on with business as usual after they left.
NA did it it’s way, and even the uncommon bravery and sacrifice of many a Nigerian soldier, was no substitute for the proper military strategy and relevant equipment.
Thousands of sierra leoneans and Nigerian soldiers, paid the ultimate price for NA’s arrogance.
And 20 years later, history is repeating it’s self.
The Angolan army, after years of soviet and Cuban tutelage, eventually brought themselves to consult the experts at this counterinsurgency business.
Today they are a thriving nation, and Unita has been consigned to the dustbin of history.
Those of us that want’s Nigeria to learn on their own, at any cost, should be fine with things, as they spin out of control.
Don’t worry Cameroon would invade tomorrow to further illustrate our handle of this situation.
If we did not show the inclination to get it right in the past, what is going to change now ?
We are being penny wise, and pound foolish.
In order to “save face” for ourselves and our beloved armed forces, we have neglected what is best for our soldiers and our people.
Counterinsurgency warfare is difficult, and doesn’t come naturally to conventional armies.
Pakistan has struggled in the SWAT valley, India has 700,000 of it’s 1.2 million soldiers engaged in the pacification of Kashmir.
Specially trained soldiers with a different mindset is what is required.
It is important to counter the insurgents, by becoming insurgents to them.
While protecting our villages, is important, we can’t just garrison our troops in a defensive posture.
Constant contact has to be made with the insurgents thru reconnaissance, and aggressive patrols.
Counterinsurgency experts, are at home in a battle space, with no battle lines drawn, conventional armies like NA, are usually out of their depth.
They hunker down, and lose orientation. As the insurgent appears to be a ghost that strikes out of no where.
Nigeria imports everything we consume, we consult foreigners on damn near everything.
We need to wise up, and bring in the expertise necessary to win this war.
The big problem with going all out for PMCs in our current context is this nightmare we all have about the DHQ just signing invoices in $millions without any work done and without any progress on ground in containing Boko Haram. Corruption and kickbacks is also an issue.
I honestly think all we need from a PMC for now are combat pilots and surveillance data processing personnel all of them manning equipment that belongs to Nigeria, also a lot of training elements to be thrown in. The contract should also have a short term 3 years and no more. This is all that is required. Nigeria is not some small backwater Banana-stan that could just become a play ground for international defsec corporations.
Oga Are James, i respect your hustle sir.
hehehehe, you have come again with your broad stroke generalizations, spewing the same incoherent tactless, and baseless accusations we usually hear. Tell me something new, how about for once you provide evidence of this so called million dollar invoice signing? i bet you will not provide it, because you don’t have proof. You prefer to denigrate, wail and cry wolf even when there seems to be none. It seems like any two-faced tactic, when you get emotional about issues, reason is suddenly thrown out the door, hormones get agitated and take over, which make you resort to the easiest culprit, corruption, how? where? who? i no know, all na corruption, respectfully Oga, that’s lazy. As regard PMC, i seriously doubt Nigeria is in the right frame politically to embark on an issue as polarizing as that. Organically, PMC’s will be used sometime but i dont think all arms of government will totally agree to that arrangement, no matter how aggressively you push it. Maybe a better suited phrase will be Private Public Partnership PPP, that seems to be a better fit semantically.
@mcshegz
I have come to the conclusion that the problem most of you guys have is inordinate love of authority figures and the erroneous impression that because somebody carries a big title he necessarily knows what he is doing.
Only about 30% of defence corruption has been reported so far and nobody has come out to defend details of them on any media. (1) We know Abuja CCTV does not work (2) junior ranks have reported second APCs without air conditioners working, this caused national disgrace at UN/AU peacekeeping operations, (3) the Israeli UAVs bought we paid double price and none of them is working, contending suppliers are already in court (4) the F7NI flying coffins were bought for the current price of JF 17 block 1 (5) even Shaldag patrol boats were bought second hand by my beloved NN. These were some the 30% of corrupt practices reported in defence procurement, nobody has denied them. Stealing allowances of rank and file involved in international peace keeping ops was common, finally stopped by current COAS we hear. If you do not admit to defence sector corruption and you are a young man in Nigeria , then we have a serious problem in this country and BH is going to win the war. When problems are not self admitted then no solution exists.
The problem with PMCs is that you are buying a SERVICE and not a WEAPON SYSTEM which begs the question how do you unitize it?, no. of boko haram killed?, vehicles destroyed?, territory taken back?, sorties flown?,. How do you price it?, What constitutes good performance?, how do you audit it?. If on the other hand you say you will pay by the day for each PMC consultant provided then you open a blank cheque and the war will.never end. These are serious considerations. We are not teenagers just throwing words around we don’t understand. If you don’t believe there is corruption in the defence sector you sincerely have my sympathy. Even the US and other advanced countries are doing their best to fight it, in the 70s and 80s Lockheed Aircraft had a massive bribing campaign throughout the world. Even recently India, S.Africa have probed their militaries and these are countries much less corrupt than us.
http://icirnigeria.org/how-corrupt-army-commanders-undermine-fight-against-boko-haram/
Oga DozieX, i respect your hustle sir.
You seriously are not suggesting that Nigerian security apparatus as a whole is “winging it in the dark? Like every thing in life, folks are good at somethings , and bad at others. We as a nation, and NA that represents us has proven that we are not cut out for this.” HAhahahah, are you for real Oga, na wah oh, oga go join army na, shooo, or are you categorically stating that the Nigeria as a country is not capable of winning this war unless we do it your way?, if that’s what you believe, well, you are right, because you believe so. But i am also right to believe that Nigeria has the brains required to not only win but continue to grow economically while kicking some serious butt. “A smart person would use what you have, ( oil money in our case) , to get what you want/ need ( counterinsurgency expertise )” What do you mean exactly? please elaborate, because if i get you right, you are suggesting we swap oil for training? how do we go about doing that exactly, if you don’t mind laying down a step by step plan so we understand how feasible your suggestion is. We seem quick to blame but slow to act, we seem eager to win a war but esoteric in our solutions. Please stop pulling out condescending suggestions if you yourself haven’t even had the time or energy to dissect such plan, to ascertain its feasibility. Nigeria is not Angola, Nigeria is unlike any other country, hence solutions must be tailored specifically for our climate, all angles included. Yes i believe i need to wise up, same goes for you Oga, you simply cannot arm twist Nigeria into anything it doesn’t want. “Nigeria imports everything we consume, we consult foreigners on damn near everything.We need to bring in the expertise necessary to win this war.” Even if that opinion is correct, so your solution is to continue to import abi? why cant you lay same agitations for local solutions through import substitution, like cement and rice…. hehehehehe. We need to manufacture, produce and export more, Oga, anything short of that is a temporary win.
Oga mcshegz,
You must be new to reading this blog.
You are looking for me to elaborate ?
This blog for the last 3 years is replete with the elaboration you seek sir.
I am not here to thump my chest about anything, I am too grown for that.
What is, is what is. And what isn’t , just ain’t there.
Whatever nigerias military potential is, it’s our results that count.
So, you seem to be talking potential, and I am talking about outcomes.
Where are the successful military outcomes ?
If you want to truly judge the effect a capable PMC can have on Nigeria, then I would point you to the following.
(1) Ethiopia’s Operation SUNSET that defeated Eritrea.
(2) UPDF anti LRA ops in DRC, northern Uganda and southern sudan.
(3) UPDF AMISOM OPS in Mogadishu.
(4) Angola’s final defeat of Savimbi’s UNITA.
(5) Executive Outcomes ops in sierra leone.
(6) MPRI’s advisers in the Croatian army prior to the assault on Krajina .
All these are real world examples that illustrates how training, advisory and combatant expertise by a good comprehensive private military company can add tremendous value to an army, and lead to good outcomes for a nation.
http://businessdayonline.com/2014/06/questionable-defence-contracts-undermine-nigerias-security/
For those Kenyans bombarding me with questions about why I have shut out all other African nations from this blog, it is because not every African is a brother. We cannot shine any bright light on any undeserving African country when you all spare no effort in running down Nigeria. You are the architects of your own fate. And thank God that we have the reach and command attention where you never will.
It is indeed the case that you have to be beneath someone to try and pull them down to your squat level. The only African countries which shall feature here are those which have any interconnectedness with Nigeria’s security interests. You guys shall learn the hard way how not to be two-faced.
Oga Doziex, can you stop praising these evil folk? It is nauseating to see you doing that whereas they run you down all the time. Ugandans seem so classy in comparison. Need I say that they also have an infinitely more accomplished army to boot.
In all, I blame Nigeria for not taking the plot beyond these Lilliputians. Where else but in Africa would a nation with a sub-US$40bn economy imagine that she is in contention for any stakes with another country with a US$510bn economy? Deluded bottom feeders.
MAUMAU
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?240508-Close-To-500-Nigerian-Soldiers-Flee-To-Cameroon-To-Avoid-Confrontation-With-Boko-Hara/page3
AFRICAKEN/MWAURA
http://eastafrican.userboard.net/t250p330-kenya-defence-forces-kdf
Oga Doziex, you keep on specifying the same solution irrespective of the problem.
The same mindset that would hire your PMC is the same one that sees nothing wrong with Presidential hets and VVIP aircraft while soldiers have no helicopter support
Has the problem changed ?
It’s been the same problem we have been harping about all these years, that is why my recommended solution is the same.
Oga beegeagle, I apologize for the distress some ignorant Kenyans and others may be causing you.
But the operations of the KDF was covered in depth on this blog.
Their success is fact, and a matter of record.
Nigeria is the one, that abdicated the throne. Kenyans know they cannot hold a candle to Nigeria, If Nigeria had it’s act together.
As painful and humiliating as it is having to hear other Africans motivated by narrow minded envy, hate on Nigeria, we have to face up to the humiliation.
We CANNOT BURY IT.
Instead, I suggest Nigerians look in the mirror, and confront the root cause of our problems.
POOR LEADERSHIP.
Whether the leader is my brother, my kinsman or my church member, A POOR LEADER IS A POOR LEADER.
Lets stop with the excuses for bad leadership.
I am a proud Igbo man. The Igbo has been denied it’s turn at leading Nigeria. ALL FACT.
But I would tell any Nigerian that would listen to me, that the BEST PERFORMING AND PROVEN GOVERNOR should be elected as our next president.
And that is governor Fashola.
If our problem is poor leadership, and we are humiliated as Kenyans and others ridicule our current state, then we should do something about it.
PUT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD. Elect the most qualified and proven candidate.
If we choose to double down on what is not working, we are probably not humiliated enough.
I have a hard time understanding why Kenyans and Ghanaians are so obsessed with Nigeria
And Oga Beeg, do not blame the Kenyans or whoever for laughing at us. If we had kept our houses in order they will have no reason to. We laughed at the South Africans who wanted to do expand their hegemonic reach by deploying troops to CAR and high tailing back to Jo’Bourg with 16 men dead. The sad truth is that in this modern day and age, if you fuck up, 6 billion people will see your fuck up at the speed of youtube.
And to all you cow blood drinking ******** (they know themselves). dont worry when Nigeria collapses 25 million will be resettled in Nairobi, 15 million in Ghana, 5 million in Uganda.. after six months the second batch of 20 million will be resettled in Nairobi, another 10 million in Ghana.. within a year we should have 60 million Nigerians in East and West Africa….
Oga Oje, I respect your hustle sir.
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
Oga Oje, I respect your hustle sir.
Soft power, that which wins the mind and souls of humans without their knowledge. It seeps in, breeds and germinates, you just don’t know how or why you feel such affinity towards such power. It is all encompassing, neither brutish nor brusk. The power of Hollywood/Nollywood/Bollywood/ and so on. Nigeria’s Nollywood has been so effective surprisingly, due to the English language, the second/third most popular language after Mandarin. English speakers are widely spread out through out the world, hence the wide reach. Mandarin on the other hand, has been pretty much confined to China’s land mass hence not as globally acclaimed. China seriously wants this power, every country wants this so called “soft power” because it makes life so much easier, you can call it undue advantage, but it sure helps when you have it. Other countries in Africa wish they had this power but, it doesn’t come easy, it comes attached with the worst negatives you can ever imagine in your life, discrimination is but one of such negatives. So be careful what you wish for Africa, because Nigeria’s soft power not only gives us a clear and unique voice but also declares us open to extreme xenophobia, racism, and endless bashing. But, we no send them sha…. hehehehe Size matters considerably though, 170million strong, and probably half of the same size outside the country, that’s some serious number.
Wrong example. Nollywood is not soft power yet. Right now it is decadent power, corrupting power. One of the good things govt has done is step into things with funds to train writers and story plot builders. Nollywood is not helping Brand Nigeria for now please.
No mind those african baggers. Make dem dey laugh, dey wait for 9ja to collapse.
They don’t know the refugees from Nigeria will obliterate the populations of all west african and east african nations.
And i promise them one thing:
The Nigerians refugees will organize a coup to overthrow ALL of their leaders.
Make dem dey there dey laugh…
My next shot on Cameroon Vs Nigeria Vs France
==========================================================
When Chadian bandits invaded Nigeria in the 1980s, Nigerian army is on record to have defended our fatherland and chased the Chadians back 50km deep inside Chadian territory, so why did Nigerian army not surrender our Scorpion tanks and infantry weapons to Chadian army because we were 50km inside their land? Was there no international law then?
So why do we now in 2014 surrender 480 Nigerian army infantry weapons to Cameroon because we chased Boko Haram invaders who wreck more havoc than Chadian 1980 bandits? Why can’t our 480 soldiers tell Cameroon, sorry o, we entered your territory chasing Boko Haram that is killing our people, we are on our way back to Nigeria now, thanks Biya boys, we are your friends and brothers in arms….why not say that and return home?
480 Nigerian soldiers disarmed inside a hot and volatile unpredictable a war zone, any sense in that? Kept inside a school building, what if Boko Haram surprisingly as usual attacks that school and murder 480 Nigerian soldiers now disarmed and stripped of their guns inside a war zone? Is that not insane? Nobody thinks of that, right? Cameroon’s soldiers will flee if overpowered and leave the Nigerians defenseless same way they fled and their minister’s wife was kidnapped. You want to bring back 480 NA dead bodies to army barracks abi? You never see m*t**y before? Go ask Mali. We as a nation enjoy getting messed up by weaker people. A Liberian man flew into Lagos and killed our best doctors with Ebola while Ghana was busy locking it’s gate against Nigeria !
We have no national pride again? We get bruised at random.
So what is the use of the meeting in France between Nigeria, Niger Republique, Chad, Cameroon, and France in Paris to agree on joint war against Boko Haram? Why surrender weapons when we have humiliated ourselves by running to France to help us beg Cameroon and Chad to cooperate and fight Boko Haram? Why a second humiliation of surrendering our arms to Cameroon?
So they snatched Bakassi from us with thousands of Nigerians living there, they now collect our guns too this week? How many times will a man be slapped on the same face and he says yes sir?
If Cameroon had permission to fire shells into Nigerian territory, let someone prove it here now. Okay if you prove it, still bad news, Nigeria has almost 1,000 artillery guns and tanks that can fire shells with gun elevation in artillery mode, so why did Cameroon not give us the intelligence report (Sources said last week that they are unwilling to share information with us) and let Nigerian army have the Boko Haram camp location coordinates and we calculate the azimuth to shell the daylight out of Boko ? Why not? Nigerian army artillery capacity is ten time more than that of Cameroon !
Okay if the Cameroonians have no permission to shell Nigerian lands, then equally bad, we just surrendered 480 guns to them for crossing into their land.
Ah ! somebody tell me why I should not be angry, you think I am insulting Nigeria? Go look up the meaning of national pride and read Hitler, Gaddafi, Stalin, Mao, Churchill, G.W. Bush, Thatcher, Golda Meir.
Who authorized US Navy seals to enter Pakistan? Did they surrender guns there? Who authorized Israeli army to enter Gaza? Was it UN? Did the Israelis surrender guns there? Is Israel not fighting Hamas to save their fatherland the same way Nigeria is fighting Boko Haram to save our own fatherland too? Where was international law when USA and Israel did their own?
Can France threaten Algeria or Egypt? Can NATO threaten Pakistan or India?
$ 530 Billion economy of 177 million people afraid of France, why did we not arm ourselves like Algeria or Pakistan? We prefer to be robbed of our national pride in broad daylight in the view of the whole world.
Okay Nigeria put itself in a small box to be bullied in 2014, and people say I should swallow my national pride? No, you swallow yours, it’s a free world, I spew out mine, my own national pride….like Golda Meir will do !
Thanks sirs.
Oga Augustine, i respect your hustle sir.
I get it Oga, you are angry, your words show the level of paranoia. You want Nigeria to shoot and Kill anything that moves on the border with Cameroon without accountability to anyone. When people like you come on hear, saying don’t fear this, don’t fear that, we should all do well to be afraid of you because, you seem the most malleable to radicalization. You seem eager and bent on carrying out a delusional war story, you want to prove something. So, Oga i will advise you to relax, take it easy, i very much understand what you are going through right now, but as we live, we learn. We make mistakes only to vow not to make them again, not that a wrong turn is objectively wrong, but subjectively suicidal to repeat same things in the hope of a different result. Hence, i will appeal to your sense of reason, the people you look up to and mentioned on Beegeagle’s blog might seem attractive on TV (Hitler? Gaddafi?) but, Oga, pride is useless without a humble demeanor. Nigeria does not exist in isolation from the rest of the world, we have to be careful so as not to take any step that will portray us in a negative light, why? because we have to somehow balance how economic growth with everything else, so i agree its frustrating, its annoying, but with time, you’ll see it necessary. That America and Israel does one thing does not mean we have to do the same, moreover you have to understand America’s position in the world today, so give unto Caesar what belongs to Caeser. You have to realize, many people wish us ill, many people wish Nigeria becomes a failed state and ungovernable. It seems Nigeria’s aim is to continue to grow economically without a major confrontation until it reaches a level economically where major long distance confrontation could be embarked upon without fear of recession. So Oga Augustine, i feel your pain.
I can’t believe your reasoning. You are being too fake in your defence of policy mistakes and you are beginning to show your true colours. If BH captures the whole of Borno State tomorrow, I am sure you will find words to rationalize it. You have what is called “subconscious Stockholm syndrome” which happens with a citizen’s approach to public institution. Essentially since we are all hostage to the MOD/DHQ as service providers for our defence and security and there is no alternative (the hand dealt to you in life) then the reasoning goes …why not get used to the failure, loss of national prestige and power, why not rationalize them instead and even find excuses tor them?. As you yourself would say..” I think I get your hustle”‘
Oga Are James, I respect your hustle sir.
Contrary sir, contrary, i have decided not to point fingers if i’m not sure who i am pointing at, i have decided not to lay blame, if i am not sure where to lay the blame, this is simple and effective reasoning because, i haven’t got evidence, you know evidence right? that which proves beyond reasonable doubt that one is guilty of said accusation? Reasonable doubt is what separates us humans from a jungle justice society, where any allegation is enough to convict a person in public opinion. Please sir, all i ask is we be reasonable, slow to judge, but by all means, if you have facts and documents that prove your accusations, why don’t you share it with the public, so that we can help scrutinize and analyze said facts. i take this approach because, that’s what i would want to be accorded to, a fair trial, where i am also free and able to defend myself. But in a case like this where the accused, all be it 100s if not thousands of people are accused of a crime, does it sound logical or fair that they do not get to share their side of the story. That’s why until a matter as been settled in a competent court of law, its best you refrain from accusations. Sure, you are free to express yourself as you deem fit, its your prerogative, so too do i have the right to argue in defense of the group you heap curses and blames on, shey you canna. Hahaha, if by Stockholm syndrome, you mean i have an a bias towards haramites, then you miss road Oga, lets be clear who the enemy is, you don’t alienate the warriors who fight and die for your freedom just to prove some twisted sense of overriding ego which communicates that, its either they do it your way or they are incompetent, you caress, you praise and in a subtle way always encourage and help to do more. Agreed, Oga, aiye yapa plenty for both our views, the spectrum is broad, so we can both air our views.
To understand some of the reason for this apathy by Kenyans towards Nigerians who salivate when anything bad is happening in Nigeria one has to mere look at this link. We really have to stop imposing our norms and culture to these people. It breeds resentment.
http://www.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/DN2/Nigeria-not-China-colonising-us-/-/957860/2430580/-/2is3mdz/-/index.html
I have a hard time wondering why Nigerians worry about what Ghanaians or Kenyans are saying.
We have opened our nyash, we should not complain that people are pointing and laughing.
Oga Augustine: e don do.
If troops cross into international borders into your territory unless its a hostile act they should be disarmed. It is standard international law.
Nobody has threatened Nigeria.
The Camerounians firing into Nigeria, first read the articles, it was not artillery but direct fire from armoured vehicles. Technically that is an act of war, however they have been under fire from BH in Ashigaya and Kewara so legally they are exercising their right of self defence by returning fire.
These are issues that countries battling a trans border insurgency would face.
I have recommended 2 things that would resolve these issues
A ‘troika’ of key Nigerian and and Camerounian defence, foreign affairs and international affairs officials. Essentially once any type of incident happens the troika members on either side get in touch with each other and sort it out.
An Army Corps incorporating 7 Div, another Div and Military Region 3 and 5 in Cameroun. Commanded by a Nigerian Corps Commander with a Camerounian deputy, incorporating Police, NAF, Customs etc.
I’mot sure if it exists but if there is fighting within 5 km of the Camerounian boorder they should made aware and stood to, ready to repel any BH pushing through, thiss way BH will not be slipping through the gaps and this issue of Nigerian soldiers in Cameroun would not arise.Each countrys soldiers would have a right to move 2km over the border if in hot pursuit with notification but can stay no longer than 4 hours unless extended by mutual agreement and joined by a reciprocal unit or liaison officer.
We are both under attack by the same foe, the petty and humiliating press release from Cameroun achieved nothing except to give Nigerias detractors a spoon to beat us with
I remember 3 years ago when Muamma Guadafi (or how ever its spelt) flew into Nigeria to attend an AU meeting of Heads of States in Abuja., His entourage was stopped right at the Tarmac of the airport by Nigerian security officials and demanded they hand over their weapons. They disagreed of course and our security officials did not let them move an inch. Eventually he was forced to hand over their weapons before they were allowed in. 3 days later Gaddafi, now back in Libya called for Nigeria to be split into two between Muslims and Christians lol.
Oga Oje, i respect your hustle sir.
yup, i remember, same thing happened with Russia’s Putin in South Africa, at a BRICS conference there. His security detail was not allowed into the building with a suitcase believed to be Nuclear launch codes because that’s the international norm. You surrender your weapons, unless stated otherwise through prior arrangements.
Actually, obasanjo intervened personally and instructed Nigerian BGs to allow Gadaffi’s protective detail to enter Nigeria with their weapons…
Are you sure? because the last I remember of Ghaddafi was when he visited Nigeria during Abachas time and I remember watching TV news footage of his armed female bodyguards standing guard while he was in Abuja.
NAF don waka come.
However if these airstrikes patter out in 2 or 3 days because of shortage of platforms, bombs, rockets or pilot fatigue or whatever reason at all, I am going to abuse the CAS and CDS personally, by name and nothing to happen.
http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/daily/news/33081-military-planes-bomb-gwoza-limankara
*nothing go happen*
thanks for the info OGA ARE JAMES I know it has been a trying week for all of us. I RESPECT YOUR VIEWS even when we fundamentally disagree best news of the G’ DAMMN day TGIF.
FOLKS it looks like the weekend is going to be interesting.
Let me help you.
Oga CAS and CDS, you will not be where you are forever. ONE DAY all of you whose corruption and greed have cost the lives of over 10,000 Nigerian Civilians and nearly a thousand soldiers will stand before judgment, no matter how long. Your suffering might be unimaginable…..
preach, oga oje preach
AMEN.
http://www.tribune.com.ng/news/top-stories/item/14754-declaration-of-caliphate-ex-generals-alarmed-by-boko-haram-military-seeks-jonathan-s-will-to-fight-army-chiefs-in-maiduguri
METHINKS…………
Oga, sometimes I tire. With all due respect to the President of the Federal Republic sometimes this whole, scholarly, chilled out thing is irritating. Obama is a scholar as well but he takes strong decisions.
After last weekends disaster the President should have ordered the Minister of Defence, CDS, CAS and COAS to be outside his office at 6.00am. If na me I would not arrive till 8.00am then only see them for 30 minutes at 10.00am, once they has back briefed me I will give him 24hours to present an op plan, 48 hours to implement it or their resignations.
There is no culture of accountability or command responsibility. Officers have shot themselves for less talk less of resigning. At the minimum the Minister of Defence should offer his resignation
The service chiefs have finished letting down the CIC and currently letting down Nigeria. History has already recorded it against them. What is happening now is that the Godfathers of the Godfathers are now asking questions. It is not looking good for all GEJ appointed service chiefs including the retired one’s. The NAF for now seems the poor performer. A number of obscure reports on the internet have it that almost all the NAs heavy losses on the ground were caused by friendly fire/ poor targeting by the airforce or the complete absence of jets when you needed them.The NA has also been running out of ammo and men due to desertion which is almost an abomination for a home based war..
gen peccavi, u dey forget that this is naija. a place were peeps generally don’t take things serious except it is their own personal business. its sad that this inglorious passion has also infested the military.
BH capturing gwoza is not the shocking part. the blood curdling part is that an FOB was actually stationed there, and this FOB was overrun by bunch of miscreants. the pathetic performance of the base defenders still remains confusing.
irrespective of BH style of editing, it is still disturbing knowing that an FOB couldn’t effectively repel some rag tag clowns. too much of UN PKO has taken the wind out of the NA sail.
for a terrorist group that dedicate vast resources into hitting soft targets, thereby frustrating ground commanders hoping for a hammer strike, this gwoza operation by the terrs was suppose to be a blessing straight from heaven. the commanding officer of that base, on learning about BH motive (he should know of the attack in advance if he properly utilize the ground and deploy aggressive fighting patrols) should have gone down on his knees and thank his baraka for such rich target!!
FOBs like these are deliberately built in hot spots such as gwoza so as to ensnare the terrs into the open ground, enticing them to launch attack on the base. this is classical COIN; draw them out and vacuum them! instead we have troops doing a runner and leaving complete base magazine for the terrs. they should all be arraigned in front of a military court and tried for aiding the terrorists. utter humiliation this gwoza attack, heads should roll on this.
the terrs massing in such numbers is buttered bread for any competent officer, they should have been mowed down. everything about that base favours the defenders. are they now going to make excuses and tell the public that their heavy cannons where not functioning, or that they lack sustained ammo ration
TRADOC need to come true with more realistic and adequate training for this current officers and men. they lack aggressiveness.
Doziex pls stop this attitude of always calling for Colonel eben to come and save Nigeria. We all know that this issue is political. Without the backing of the political class, the military can not do much.
For some of us calling boko haram a rag tag army, well the boko haram today is different from the one we knew years ago. They are well armed, appear to be well trained and organised.
Many of the officers from the rank of colonel above are veterans of the war in liberia and sierra leone. I believe they know what to do. I believe that they do not have the resources and the backing of the political class. Remember, to formally declare a war, the president needs to go to the senate to get an approval. The NA is not deploying all its full assets in the North east. The political gimmick is to to say there are civilians still in borno and so cerrain weapons cant be used. Let the president declare war with financial and political backing and let civilian move out in droves. Let the army get the power they need to plan and launch full scale attacks with all the fire power they have and lets see what happens.
Oga peccavi, you have done a great job. Keep it up.
the terrs might appear well armed and semi properly organised, but they are poorly trained. their weapons handling and terrain use is poor, fieldcraft and muskeetering is abysmal. how they overrun FOBs still remain confusing and disturbing.
off course, the hardcore cadres are hardened chadian vets with year of combat. however, their massed fighters are usually raw indoctrinated zombies that well aimed indirect and direct supporting fire could easily mow down.
having terrs mass up in such strength present the army with the opportunity to destroy them en-mass. but no, our troops are either withdrawing or completely leaving equipment behind for the terrs to capture. treason!!!
i do agree with you oga col, that the army still lacks the political will. unfortunately, this is nigeria, and it will take rivers of blood before they do the right thing. sad.
Oga Colonel NGR, I have also given you others to choose from.
(1) The Paramount group (south African based)
(2) MPRI (US based)
(3) XE formerly known as Black water
(4) Triple canopy
(5) The Washington based firm, that put together ex US and EU expertise to assist AMISOM.
My preference however, is Colonel Eeben’s STTEP if it is anything as effective as the Executive Outcomes.
This is because they have proven themselves in similar conflicts on the African continent.
Don’t let your pride get in the way of your reasoning.
Also, Colonel NGR,
some of you guys are proving to be poor military analysts, or at least observers.
You say that NA officers have experience from Liberia and sierra leone, meaning what ?
Have you ever analyzed what obtained in those conflicts ?
Or do you want to do the typical Nigerian thing and forget about the details.
Truth is, NA did not wrap itself in glory either in those wars.
Grave mistakes were made continuously, and covered up as a matter of policy.
The cover up meant that NA never learnt from our exposed weakness,
And it is only a tragedy, that 20 plus years later, NA is repeating the same mistakes, except now, it is Nigeria towns and Nigerian citizens that would pay the price.
Whatever, slight or disrespect you perceive employing PMCs would mean to NA and the Nigerian establishment, is well deserved.
They have both put the citizens in their care at grave peril.
So, I wouldn’t apologize for putting the security of Nigerians above the reputation of NA brass and our political establishment.
They failed us, not the other way round.
oga buchi
I talked about this on the thread concerning THE RETAKING OF Damboa.I said one of the biggest failures of this war is the incompetence even till now for the AIR COMMANDERS AND THE ARMY COMMANDERS TO ACT IN TANDEM TO ACT TOGETHER. Someone queried whether the NAF had run out of bombs , I said no, they just are not totally in synch with what is happening on the ground i.e. one of the top air force’s men is not embedded with the army and one of the top army men is not embedded with the air force both armed forces still in my opinion ( And I hope to God I am wrong still display individual interests). Gwoza is a perfect example of where both the NAF and the NA lacked a clear strategy of working together.
oga Peccavvi
Before I answer your question let us go back to Jan 2014, This is when the current def MINISTER OF Defence was sworn in..Prior to that in the middle of a raging Inferno Nigeria had an acting Minster of Defence MAKU who for all intents and purpose had no prior military experience
and it would be nice to describe him as being incompetent.
Based oga gbash ‘s testimony the first confirmed eye witness account of procurement of fresh supplies did not start arriving into the country for a war that has been on going for 4 years till FEB/ MARCH OF THIS YEAR why because people who held the purse strings in the mod had a) NO INTENTIONS OF LETTING IT GO. b) Some procurement official who most def studied in the good old USA have a sado – machismo attitude to trying to obtain the unobtainable from the left wing administration of President Barack Hussein Obama ( more on him later). .
For the Helios they have been on order since 2012 why were they not delivered? the answer is very simple because they were not paid, but Nigeria is a poor country, sorry the russian replied we cannot give it to you for free you just bought another presidential jet top of the line no expenses spared for $20m let us know when you are serious about paying for real stuff to end this war.
The one person Nigeria cannot afford to get rid of in this war is the current DEF MINISTER RTD LT . GEN GUSAU., The minute he is gone is the same minute I state procurement of necessary equipment would stop, and then we would go back to having another acting minister of defense.
Before we castigate the service CHIEFS ” for job not well done” The Presidency with the remaining four fingers and the mirror in front of him must look himself personally in the mirror and say have I done a good job ? have I personally held myself to a higher standard than the standard to which I hold these men? for me despite what is a huge amount of cash and a ready and cash hungry , Russia willing to offer these equipment GEJ is capable of doing a lot more and by GOD ,He will.
POTUS
I voted for him twice and will follow him through a wall no questions asked .A few days ago without any permission from the US ,two countries one big ( Egypt) and one very tiny ( United Arab Emirates) went on a bombing in what is clearly a country ( Libya) that the US clearly considers part of its sphere of influence. Since LIBYA shares common borders with EGYPT They are very concerned about what goes on. How is this connected to Nigeria, OBAMA’S AFRICAN policy with less than two years left in his Presidency it would be kind to describe it as dysfunctional AFRICAN LEADERS despite the show and tell are waking up to that realization. Nigeria has been a staunch ally of the US yet in time of her needs and wants the iad has been a trickle down effect.
One day this war will end and Nigerians will have better and more pragmatic leaders , and the danger is this the US ambassador to Nigeria will not be featured on the front pages of the newspapers because they will be considered irrelevant more like the ambassador to morroco or cape verde right now we have besotted leaders who believe the sun sets and rises on us pronouncements.
The US has been shown to be incapable of doing anything outside of SANCTIONS when it comes to Ukraine and the almost servant like approach by the European Nations to Russia is beginning to show where real power like, No OGA P . THE us has been talking out of both sides especially BHO when it comes to Nigeria.
Nigeria does not need 30 year old dubious helicopters from the us via crooked shady men from Israel what Nigeria needs from the us is no more pontificating , Give us the weapons BRAND NEW LIKE RUSSIA IS DOING, here is your cash or don’t give us anything and S.T.F.U. This is what Egypt is doing in LIBYA.
Oga Jimmy, make I ask you whether anybody told you Nigeria went to the US to buy helicopters or any piece of kit and were refused?
I would sincerely like to know what we went to the US to get and didn’t get? And why?
I will agree Pres Obama has no particular African policy and this is simply because he does not need to. Strategically the US is realigning itself to where its next biggest challenge will come from and that is Asia. And the relationship will be vry different to previus ones. Everyone in the east has opened their eyes so there will be no more of the Oga/ houseboy relationship.
US interests in Africa relate to markets for their goods and services and preventing terrorism from threatening the sea lanes or souther Europe or the Middle East.
Limited but fits their purposes.
So what is Nigerias US strategy? or Ghanas or Mozambique? Other than to run to the US when called what do we want?
In fact whats our UK strategy, France, China, Germany?
Russia is not giving us weapons, we are buying them. If we want to buy US weapons they will happily sell them to us, they are selling to Qatar and Saudi Arabia who are bankrolling ISIS, they are selling to Pakistan who are supporting the Taliban. In essence they are selling to people who support people who are their enemies. Its business, however the US has extremely stringent bribery and money laundering laws which I think you will find is more to blame for our lack of business with them.
L
*aid has been a trickle down *
* where real power lies*
Oga Jimmy, good morning big bros. From your source, I borrow and quote below :
“Prominent retired Generals in the country are alarmed that Boko Haram terrorists appeared to be gaining the upper hand in their war against Nigeria.”
http://www.tribune.com.ng/news/top-stories/item/14754-declaration-of-caliphate-ex-generals-alarmed-by-boko-haram-military-seeks-jonathan-s-will-to-fight-army-chiefs-in-maiduguri
Early this month, Sirius Black posted a short comment despite the ban on him, saying that Nigeria is losing this war. We said it was a fake Sirius Black, buy now I think differently.
However, we are losing battles, but not the war. By this time next year, I see us winning. Amen.
Does anybody have actual rates that PMC companies charge?
How are their deals structured, how do, you pay for the services?
Do they provide equipment (weapons and spy gear)?
Are there any security clearances and vetting?
One thing I have said on a continuous basis.The elite people especially the 1% of the people who really have the power and the resources to make this war come to an end have not done all they should to make this war come to an end..
The Iraqis got tired of waiting for their f-16 from the US ( It will be delivered in September according to the state dept) so they turned to the Ruskies how does next week grab you they said. The Iraqis said where do you want us to deliver the money ? obviously with their country dangerously becoming a failed state they did not give a rat’s ass about the US economic sanctions.
In Nigeria we are still waiting and hoping that the arrival of each ANTONOV does signal that a) we are getting more weapons for the ARMY and hopefully more HELIOS everything is jeje ( small , small slowly slow motion)
No oga doziex you are fundamentally flawed in your obsession for THE PMC BEING THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING WRONG WITH THE NA.
The C.O.A.S is doing the right thing audit the inventory see what you have and what you do not have, organize, reorganize the army in a way that square pegs fit square holes, remove in competent commanders and replace them with competent commanders, the video from GWOZA WOULD OF BEEN WATCHED BY HIM by now.
Any commander that loses equipment will have to explain why the equipment was lost.A PMC cannot or should not teach you that . A LT COLONEL IN THE Nigerian army who cannot defend the FOUR CORNERS OF A BASE AND DRAW AN AGEGE BREAD AND DISCLOSE WHERE THE WEAK POINTS ARE WHERE THE STRONG POINTS AFTER APPROXIMATELY 16 YEARS IN THE ARMY needs to be kicked out of the army not to be trained by oyinbo on how to defend the four corners of a base from being overrun.
OGA PECCAVI said it best everything that is needed brainpower wise is in NIGERIA, the base had a tank which could of been positioned from time to time at the four cardinal points ( north , west, south , east and firing concussive shells into those goddamn hordes of bh.
The apc should of expended its entire CACHE OF AMMUNITION INSTEAD IT BECAME A PRESENT FOR THE SOBS.
There comes a point in time when if you were the commander on the base either you are going to fight or run away. Men are very astute and smelling fear in their commanding officers as well as sensing bravery I don’ t need any goddamn prophet to tell me whether I will win a battle or today is the day i will die I need men who want to fight, weapons that work and sound military tactics that have proven to work.i personally believe without Military training I would of made better decisions and whether I lived or died would not of been as relevant as someone trying to take my base this is the kind of thinking that this commander he was too busy thinking about surviving he was not busy about destroying the enemy this is the the problem that no oyinbo can solve this is the problem we have to solve ourselves.
I WASN’T TRAINED AS A SOLDIER BUT THIS COMMANDER SHOWED FEAR TO HIS MEN THEY FELT IT THEY SMELLED AND THEY RAN.
This commander should be removed permanently from the aor and never be given a command or combat post.
The brigadier who is now a maj gen who laid waste to boko haram in KANO SHOULD BE REASSIGNED AND MADE THE GOC OF THE 7TH BEFORE THE 20TH TOWN FALLS TO BOKO HARAM OGA FREEGULF NAME PLEASE
Officers from the rank of Major who are in combat positions should be given a personal interview and asked frankly if they are competent, if they are found wanting / or do not have the ” bottle ” they should be reassigned down south.
The time for learning is over tomorrow is the first of the month Every battalion commander on Monday while addressing his troops should remind them whose name is on the pay stub, and they can be and will be reassigned to any part of Nigeria.
http://247nigerianewsupdate.co/boko-haram-military-moves-to-reclaim-territories/
Oga Jimmy, you said it all, welldone!
i still believe a major handicap to this war on terror is attitudinal. many still do not see this vermin as an existential threat. some are prepared to even sit and negotiate, while others believe politics will blow the whole thing away. its truly sad. the army is still not totally tuned for this war. there is still no proper strategy in place to terminate these bast**ds. the political will is still very much lacking, and the sense of urgency just isn’t present.
for now the military is only trying to contain the terrs, and giving the current ebb and flow of the conflict, they are barely doing a good job. i don’t care if there are no sukhois, A10s, or any other FGA. yes we need CAS, however, without NAF, the NA can still move forward and decimate BH fighters.
for now, the major presence of the air force in the NE battlefield should be medevac. and if they cant provide this basic minimum battlefield utility then they should more or less exit the battle zone. the army should be able to advance to contact without A-jets, they have recce units, let them utilize their tactical resources. for liaison and air surveillance, cheap prop aircraft like cessna could fill these roles. micro and mini UAVs can help battlefield commanders with tactically decision making. these little assets will not break the bank, and they are extremely invaluable in today’s battlefield. so are these easily available assets to hard for the NA’HQ to figure out and procure? sometimes the easiest things seems like rocket science for NDA, JAJI, and NDC trained brass.
even without NAF, it is still unfathomable that the army would lose FOBs with weapons intact. some of us here usually doubt the veracity of the terrorists’ broadcasts with brand new armoured vehicles in the background. i guess they, the terrs, are following events here too; their answer was to show how these displayed vehicles are captured from our once vaunted ground forces.they literally gift the terrs these weaponry.
sitting comfortably in base while waiting for air cover before doing any recce or ground advance is a bad attitude, the army really need to arrest such pussy footing.
@oga jimmy, thank you for your stance on PMCs. myself and oga peccavi have repeated times without number about the need for INTERNALIZATION. me i am tired of going back and forth on the stale idea of contractors coming to save us.
Pride goeth before a fall.
Oga jimmy, i agree with your last analysis. Oga beeg knows the officer well. Maj.Gen Abbah Illiyasu, the current military secretary was the officer in charge of the brigade in kano who dealth with boko haram. His colleague who dealth with boko haram in kaduna bringing peace to that AOR is Maj.Gen T.C Ude, the current director of plans NA. They are both not in command positions. They were posted to the army headquarters to work with the COAS. I expect them to be back to command positions by december when new postings will be done.
Gentlemen,
I continue to watch from the sidelines as to what is happening in Nigeria.
But, there is – it appears to me – to be a lot of negativism towards PMCs. I appreciate that and understand it fully. However, there is a difference between a real PMC and those masquerading to be PMCs and who view a conflict or war as an opportunity to jump onto the gravy-train. Believe me, there are many of them…
However, let me ask you what good all the foreign training has done for the NA? After years of foreign training, BH is still apparently acting with some impunity.
This point to several things:
1. The training of units has been sub-standard
2. There has been no strategy in the conflict
3. There is a misguided belief that the international community will come to rescue of the NA.
You can have the best equipment in the world but as we have seen in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, if the men are not able to deploy their equipment correctly, they can suffer at the hands of ill-trained but determined forces.
No PMC – or for that matter foreign force – can “save” Nigeria. That is something only the Nigerians can do for themselves. If “saving” is done by any force other than the NA, it will be a hollow victory and to the advantage of the hostile forces.
I also note a lot of comment by those who are trying to tell the NA how to fight the good fight. Pray tell me, what conflicts or wars have you won that you can so freely dispense with advice to your commanders?? What you are in effect doing, is casting doubt on senior NA commanders and their abilities – and giving the enemy food for thought.
Commanders can only work with what they have. And please don’t tell me “Nigeria is different from Angola and Sierra Leone”. I am very well aware of that. Nigeria is not facing a well-trained, well-supported rebel force of more than 100 000 men – as UNITA was. Nigeria is not fighting an enemy equipped with MBTs – as UNITA was. Nigeria is not facing an enemy that has massive international support – as was the case in both Angola and Sierra Leone. The NA does not have 100 plus contacts with the enemy every day during an advance. The list goes on…
Commanders rely on the men under their command to do their job. If those men are inadequately trained, utilise an incorrect doctrine, have predictive TTPs, then of course the enemy will gain an advantage. But, I think your commanders are well aware of those facts. I also think your commanders realise that they were in many instances set-up for failure.
Everyone is free to criticise but do not give criticism simply to attempt to prove a point. Destructive criticism is the hallmark of cowardice. However, criticism seems best dispensed from the sidelines by those who are not there.
Until ALL of us who live on this great continent realise that we are under threat as never before, we will never have a united front again the enemy (whoever that may be). Nor will our armed forces be able to apply the age-old principle of “unity of effort”.
Eeben
Oga Eeben,you have mentioned something that most NA field Commanders have been discussing with their troops in the NE, ‘that their top commanders are setting them up with their men to be killed by BH insurgents’.
We just pray and hope that DHQs ,NA and NAF HQs are reading the analysis and comments on this blog,Hmmm… my chest is heavy and I’m speechless!
Oga Doziex:
The Nigeria Army fought well in SL and Liberia. But it did not fight brilliantly and whether we choose to accept it or not we did not win those wars.
I will put it out there that the Nigerian Armed Forces saved the Sierra Leoneans and Liberians from losing their country but we never undertook or sustained the decisive actions to defeat the RUF.
EO did with their land air offensive, by targeting the enemies centre of gravity.
This brought the RUF to the negotiating table where Madeline Albright and Tony Blair promptly squandered the victory by getting both EO and Nigeria thrown out.
The British intervention (whilst grating maybe) was also decisive. Whether we like it or not it stopped the war. The action at Geri Gbana demonstrated not only will and intent but capability. However there were 2 other key actions the Brits undertook, they resolved to train thee Sierra Leonean forces from top to bottom, incorporated officers into key positions , civilians as well and reformed the army and the civil service. The second was fairly aggressive Special Forces patrols along the Guinean border interdicting RUF arms and diamond smuggling.
Wen we talk about Op Serval, all I hear is Mirages, Rafales etc. Again missing what created the French victory.
The French did not spontaneously attack, they had been building forces and identifying enemy positions, lines of communications for months, thus when the enemy gave them the excuse they stopped the AQIM convoy and began bombing the shit out of their forces. This was not because they had 4G aircraft, it was because they had used their ISR assets to identify targets they knew the enemies movements and intentions and massed their forces to go to the enemy centre of gravity in the mountains. And that fight was not a high tech fight it was good old fashioned infantry advance to contact, with the Chadians and mechanised forces cutting off the enemy.
A third example I will give is Rwanda vs Zimbabwe in DRC. The Rwandans outnumbered the Zimbabweans, had significant allies and were combat hardened and experienced. Their tactics were a mixture of swarm/ rezzou and conventional. They had experienced and intelligent combat leaders.
The Zimbabweans beat them in most engagements by virtue of the judicious use of firepower.
Airstrikes and artillery were called in by the SAS, Parachute Regiment troops spearheaded their effort and using discipline, fire control and support fires, defeated infinitely larger numbers of Rwandans.
So when we look at these three conflicts what do we identify?
Every insurgency needs a safe area, every insurgency has an area that is its Vital Ground. I propose that for us it is the Axis from the Northern Shore of Lake Chad to roughly southern end of Maiha LGA in Adamawa State, maybe for 50-100km on either side of the border, in Cameroun, Waza Forest is like Sambisa, and Kolofata is much like Gwoza.
To take the initiative from the enemy they need to be disrupted. But unlike the RUF, they are not based around a given area for a particular reason, like diamond mining. they are more like AQIM or the MNLA defending a rough mountainous terrain that gives them easy access to further safe areas in Southern Algeria.
So the question is can we replicate the French effort and use aggressive targeting to destroy their safe areas and then push troops up to take the fight to them?
Well yes and no. Such an operation needs good commanders, dependable fire support either from the air or artillery but most important robust logistics, with a correct planning and procedures to bring in supplies, evacuate wounded etc.
So this is a matter of trucks, helicopters and roads.
At the same time it will suck in a huge number of troops, both to carry out the offensive but also to garrison cleared areas and protect lines of communication.
At the same time we need to prevent the enemy from escaping from the 3 NE states into the rest of the country, so a long line of fortifications and mobile troops would be needed.
Technology can hep but at the end it takes manpower, quality manpower.
So with all of this in mind, what exactly is a PMC going to do?
We have ISR assets galore and to add pepper to our soup, the US/ UK/ France have jut done a comprehensive IPB of that area.
So do we need PMCs to train our men, logisticians, pilots etc?
Maybe but I would suggest that PMCs or not, once we have focussed on how to win the war rather than talking about the tools to win the war we are onto a winner.
And the key as I always say is the manpower, well trained, well led men, with basic organic infantry weapons and fire support will defeat Boko Haram. Even if out numbered, in a good position, well trained troops would either defeat BH or at least push them off. The South Africans were the most technologically advanced in the Wars of Liberation yet they emphasised training their men more than anything, leadership was earned, discipline was rigidly enforced and excellence insisted upon.
In the Vietnam War the US had the most technology and firepower yet the Viet Cong dominated night time operations.
So I’ll say yes oh, maybe PMCs can train our pilots in innovative tactics, run leadership or hill warfare cadres for our men and commanders, etc etc but unless we are serious it is a waste of time I believe it was here Oga Eeben told a story of a Ugandan Special Operations unit specifically trained to seek out and destroy the LRA in the jungle who were then sent on urban ops in Mogadishu. This is the kind of attitude that will mean whether you hire PMCs or the US coms to fight for you or whatever you will wake up tomorrow facing exactly the same problem.
People look at SF and think they are highly trained to make them effective assault troops. No, they are highly trained because for the most part they are recce troops, far behind enemy lines and if they are not fit, accurate shots able to endure deprivation and most importantly violently fight their way out of contact they will die.
Thus they might be awesome fighters but that’s only because that’s the only way to survive their tasking.
So whats our SF doing now? Last I heard our Ranger battalion was attacking Damboa. Is that what you use highly trained troops for when you have line infantry?
The long and short is that if we do not get our act together and understand the nature of the conflict we are screwed.
If we are still talking about buying arms and ammunitions as the thing that will turn this conflict around we are not just screwed we are royally fucked
Oga Peccavi,
Whether you like it or not, EO trained and led SL troops to decisively defeat the RUF. But, you still seem not to understand that there was no centre of gravity in the RUF. There was a trinity of gravity. And, the forcing of EO and Nigerians out of SL was purposely done to ensure that Nigeria retained no influence in SL. Insofar as EO was concerned, we were not there to have influence. We had a contract and had to execute it as quickly and efficiently as possible. The same was done in Angola – and elsewhere.
Likewise, with BH there is no centre of gravity. Possibly, the constant belief in the Clausewitzian theory is where things start to go wrong.
I have never intimated that STTEP can solve Nigeria’s problems. However, we tried to warn Nigeria about a pending BH offensive but the option was to go with people who do not have Nigeria’s interests at heart – and our warnings were discarded.
Nigeria is not our country but we are still saddened to read, on an almost daily basis, of BH victories.
It is your country and your government will decide what is best. However, I have raised the issue time and again, this has nothing to do with “hi-tech” equipment. It has everything to do with training – proper training. Effectiveness in the field is enhanced by political and military will – not by poor training obviously setting the NA up for failure.
YOU have to solve YOUR problems. Forget the international community. First of all, they are now grappling with their own problems and secondly, they really don’t care about Africa as much as you think they do.
But, again I ask the question to those who are so quick to level destructive criticisms at the NA: What conflict or war have you won?? And when???
To those who level constructive criticism at the NA. I say this: You are patriots and the NA needs your support.
Eeben
Oga Eeben,
I think I gave EO the credit for defeating the RUF and bringing them to the negotiating table and I pointed the finger squarely at those I think were responsible for the ensuing debacle.
The British action would have been unnecessary if a comprehensive peace deal had been signed with EO and Nigeria remaining in SL as guarantors of the peace.
The concept off trinity of gravity is fascinating and surely it is in the same realm as centre off gravity excepting that there is not a singular factor underpinning the enemies efforts and will to fight.
I highlighted the geographic area that BH operates out of, however there are several other key factors that underpin BH (and any other insurgency), such as finances, recruiting, arms supply, political or ideological support etc, however I again do not claim to be an expert on these things.
My comments were directed more to Oga Doziex who (with due respect) despite being clear headed on many issues still believes in the magic button of PMCs ignoring all the other underlying factors that go in to winning a war.
To defeat BH and more importantly prevent its reoccurrence we would need a complete Strategic Defence review encompassing various different ministry’s from health to education to Finance to Power etc. I have no particular issue with STTEP or EO except as you have correctly pointed out your services would not be properly utilised much like our over priced UAVs.
Again like I emphasised the key is well trained and well led manpower so generally I think we are both looking at this from the same angle.
I have neither won any wars, commanded armies or anything larger than a sub unit in an Army that to be honest did not perform to it best in its last outing, so I do not offer my views or opinions as certified, definitive solutions but based on my experiences and from my studies of other small to medium wars in Africa and beyond, of which your countries efforts feature heavily. However despite never having successfully defeated a superpower I can humbly postulate that
1) Technology in an insurgency should always be second place to manpower
2) the most important leadership in COIN is at the platoon and company level
3) the only way to defeat an insurgent is to take the fight to him, his safe areas, rest areas, lines of communication is a relentless operational tempo that means he spend all his time running, hiding or defending himself
4)the only way to defeat an insurgent in this manner is to fight him at his level, using equipment and methods similar to his.
I do not criticise derisively, but constructively which as far as I am concerned is the duty of a patriot and loyal citizen. I would happily put a years wages that even if my views are read in DHQ, they will not be acted on simply because my solutions are inherently simplistic and do not call for multi billion dollar budgets.
SO to answer your final comment there is not much I can do beyond what I am doing now, enter into online debates, theorise and offer analysis and solutions, because if Eeben Barlow couldn’t get his foot through the door then I would sincerely doubt Peccavi has any sort of a chance
OGA EEBEN
Let me say this with the greatest amount of respect and as you have been very honest and truthful , I will be the same i am a civil engineer of almost 20 years I have never ever been in conflict, i have been in dangerous situations and yes people have died around and yes it changes. The reason for my disclosure is to fully acknowledge my humility and the fact you know more about soldiering than i can ever fantasize about in a life time, I have an extensive background in working long grueling hours and get up on less five hours sleep after a 15 hour shift to make sure the work I did the night before does not get messed up the analogy will be come clearer to you.
“3. There is a misguided belief that the international community will come to rescue of the NA.”
This one of the most important points you have made and is the crux of the raging debate going on. Let me very specific the hostility where it may apparent is not directed @ E.O. Specifically the hostility is directed squarely at the folks who believe if we just call
in a couple of PMCS ( For the sake of argument let’ s use E.O. as the Gold standard of everything good) within Ten days BH is dead shekau is bullet riddled.As yourself have said what happens when E.O. leaves Nigeria does the training leave with them to?
I specifically simplified a base into the appearance of a bread locally baked in Nigeria it is a hard flat top and rectangular with four pointy surfaces no battles has such simplified Models however the four hard points represent 1/4 chances from which the enemy will attack or even simultaneously 4/4. The sides of this type of bread are soft and literally you tear with your fingers this represents the weak points of the base.
My point is this @ some point during the chaos of the battle the training and the leadership has to kick in and decisive commands have to be given before and during the battle , no equipment should readily and easily lost and the commander should not be among the escapees.
There is a town in Nigeria called KANO where the majority of the people 90- 95% are Muslim and yet it has been a virtual graveyard.@ The beginning of the Conflict KANO was attacked simultaneously as is the operation they attacked the army barracks and the police station, it was by all accounts a very bloody , what transpired was parts of the police were burnt, the policemen did not run and finished off most the attackers the army guys did a ferocious job of repelling and killing as many as they could .
It does not end their the senior officer who commanded the operation the very next morning called a press conference and taunted bh to please come again the following if they want to…….. they never took him up on his challenge, I told i go in after working a 15 hour grueling shift, the next following days the police and the army made bh ‘s life a living nightmare they hunted to extinction in KANO night and day recently two suicide bombs went off in kano within two days after that incident every single remaining bomber had captured with the leader of the cell.
The question is this if this kind of leadership and ferocious fighting can take place in KANO and DAMBOA why not the same urgency in Gwoza ? it as if we keep waiting for the messiah to come deliver us from ourselves hence my prophet quote “I don’ t need any goddamn prophet to tell me whether I will win a battle or today is the day i will die I need men who want to fight, weapons that work and sound military tactics that have proven to work.”
END OF PART 1
British army ke. that is just British paint brushing. Nigerian and Guinea won that war. these where the two contingents that engaged RUF during the UN era and defeated them.
the rebels foolishly made an incursion into Guinean territory (on the orders of Taylor to pressure Conte who was supporting rebels in LBR) and where mauled. do not forget that the fear of the war spreading to guinea was the main reason that guinea provided contingents to ECOMOG in the first place. Conte did not send his men to SLR to defeat the RUF, rather it was to contain the rebellion making sure it does not spread and destabilize the last MRU country that wasn’t ravaged by civil war then.
so when the rebels finally decided to ‘invade’ guinea, they where met by heavy assault and firepower by the Guinean side. with NIGCON pushing from one end and Guinean forces from the other, the leadership of RUF had no choice other than to surrender what was left of their forces to UNAMSIL.
Ironically, in ’98, the Junta/RUF forces feared that ECOMOG would push them into Guinea within months and end the war. Sadly, our ogas had different ideas. had they continued with a unity of purpose, the war would have ended same ’98
Oga peccavi,
For the sake of history, let’s get our facts straight.
I am only pointing out that NA should have taken the opportunity to learn counterinsurgency from the EO/ex SADF troops in sierra leone.
It was a missed opportunity.
However, it was NA at huge expense of blood that neutralized the RUF/AFRC rebels, AND NOT THE BRITISH ARMY.
BY the time the british got involved in their glory usurping exercise, NA had inflicted a crippling blow to the rebels at an unacceptable cost.
Furthermore, I only mentioned OP sevral and the KDF ops to emphasize the systemic targeting of technicals / gun trucks before they could be brought to bare on the French.
I never said Rafales won the war. Please read my actual arguments, and accord it the respect I accord yours.
Colonel Eeben, I apologize for constantly bringing up your name or your outfit for discussion on this blog.
I simply see a real world solution to a real world problem.
Unita was on par with the Tamil tigers, as the most potent rebel forces in the world.
BH is nowhere as well trained as Unita was.
So if EO could fashion a solution for the Angolans, so they could move on with their national development, why can’t Nigeria seek a similar route out ?
Generals Obasanjo and IBB now in their 70’s are yapping about putting their uniforms back on. HOGWASH !!
What they should have done while they were in power, was to bequeath Nigeria an armed force, second to none.
But instead, they and others chose to line up their bank accounts with our national treasure.
The decay in NA happened on their watch, and GEJ is doing precious little to reverse the slide.
So we have to find innovative ways out of this conflict. Just telling NA to buck up and fight, when the nation invested little in the institution, smacks of trying to reap where you did not sow.
When, I said on this blog that towns and military bases will fall to bH, I was ridiculed. but when it happened those that ridiculed my predictions kept mum.
I said that the 7th division was going to be expelled from it’s AOR if we didn’t get help and re arm ASAP. Well, how many towns and bases/FOBs have fallen till date ?
I also said, that BH with NA’s captured armor, and infusion of Chadian, Malian or Sudanese based fighters would eventually break out from the NE and advance on Abuja.
I am sure, when that happens, folks would still keep mum.
First of all oga doziex omo comon now as you know I am a yoruba and this is defnitley not me supporting gej. Gej for all intents and purposes met the cupboard bare has he made his share of dwadling mind boggling mistakes, I give you that but he stopped the slide .under his watch he has bought more equipment from the last three administations combined let us give the devil his due we are talking and hopefully please god ,olorun,chukwu,allah let it be true helios, opvs and troop carriers all in maybe one year. Let us castigate gej but let us not lump him with obj and ibb to pathetic individuals who most def put us in this shit hole in the first place. T-Mobile. America’s First Nationwide 4G Network
Chief, I will believe it when I see it.
12 su-24 bombers,12 su-25 heavy attack jets ,12 mi-35Ms and 40 mi-17 transports would convince me that the man is taking things seriously.
Otherwise, he should let another CIC try.
On that much we do agree he is more on the cool side not even warm yet in terms of taking this war seriously.I would hope at some point to see your list (sigh) (:. To taking this serious. T-Mobile. America’s First Nationwide 4G Network
oga doziex, i wonder why you are not asking vastly experienced generals like SV Malu, Gabriel Kbamber, abdul one mohammed to help mentor the NA. you are quick to mention McCrystal and Petreaus, but leave our own brilliant rtd gens from your private and public solution of the NE
Freeegulf,
Your comments on FAA are not entirely correct. FAPLA/FAA were reorganised from a guerrilla force into a conventional armed force by the Russians, East Germans and Cubans. Even when the SADF launched pre-emptive strikes against (then) FAPLA, they had both conventional and unconventional units. Truth be told, they had some better equipment than we had but it revolved back to strategy, doctrine, training and command and control. Some of their units fought better than others.
You are very correct – we cannot compare the early-day FAPLA/FAA with the NA but by the 1990s, that situation had changed as FAA had a very organised army, air force and navy.
Eeben
Oga Freeegulf, It is because the brave and tough Nigerian generals you mentioned, were the authors of the wrong headed ecomog military strategies that saw thousands of Nigerian troops killed and maimed needlessly.
Moreover, they covered up the debacle and our reverses, so no lessons could be learned.
However, they could boost morale considerably if allowed to participate in current affairs.
Generals Malu and Tunji Olurin distinguished themselves in the defense of Monrovia during Taylors operation octopus.
However, their linear maneuver strategy, without adequate mechanization and close air support , produced heavy NA casualties.
NA’s counter attack thru the Caldwell, and later on, the ambush of NA by Ulimo at Turbmanburg, which killed about 90 soldiers in an afternoon.
Our storied and truly brave generals, failed to adapt the right military strategies to the war they faced.
THE ONLY TRUE NA STAND OUT HERO WAS THE LATE GEN. MAX KHOBE.
This is because he sustained a surrounded NA garrison at JUI junction for 8 months, and from there, led a pincher attack on foot to recapture free town.
He sustain the wound that ultimately ended his life in that battle.
After he was removed as Ecomog commander, and seconded to the SLR army,
It was generals Kpamber and Abu Ahmadu that took their eyes off the ball, as Viktor Bout flew arms into burkinafaso, that were then trucked thru Liberia to SLR.
Taylor also sent in Liberian mercenaries while NA troops Napped in their GARRISONS.
Khobe complained of the lax posture of NA, but he was no longer in command of NA troops.
The RUF/AFRC/mercenary counter offensive began in kailahun, as the NA garrison in KOIDU diamond town was struck.
APCs and artillery pieces were lost, as NA had to abandon position due to enemy shelling.
Then the rebel coalition entered Makeni, again to catch another ill equipped napping NA garrison.
NA had to retreat thru enemy encirclement. A commanding Colonel was said to fall in that battle,
As a matter of fact the RUF website taunted NA to produce the commanding officer, if he was still alive.
General Ndefo, then a lieutenant Colonel gave a better account of himself, as he battles back and forth with the rebels. He made better use of his Kamajor allies.
It was from his command, that the now famous ecomog narrative by an anonymous NA soldier came from.
There were also back and forth battles in port loko.
Before the rebels descended on freetown.
Human shields or no human shields, a dynamic NAF equipped with Mi-24s and perhaps SU-25s would have torn these advancing forces to pieces, as they would tear BH to pieces today if we possessed such arms.
They were cheap and available then, as they are cheap and available now.
That NAF was denied these weapons in 2 existential battles, almost 20 years removed from each other is an indictment on Nigeria, and everything we stand for.
After the freetown invasion, General Khobe flew back to DHQ and angrily laid blame for this foreseen debacle.
It was during this period, that he had a stroke and passed on.
A GIANT OF A MAN.
Majors Tanko and Jalingo amongst other junior officers, led operation Death before Dishonor, to save NA from complete humiliation.
In conclusion, NA still has hard men and bravery in large supply. No assistance needed there.
But when it comes to counterinsurgency warfare, we need all the help we can get.
In order not to be found wanting in another 20 years, NA needs advisors to get thru this conflict.
Then capitalize on their experiences to build training centres that would institutionalize counterinsurgency warfare in the NA.
Had we done that during the LBR and SLR wars, we wouldn’t be needing any foreign experts today.
Oga jimmy and Oga peccavi,
Before you say that the EO would not work in Nigeria, please study what they did in their prevous wars angola and sierra leone are the most publicized.
The wording of your counter arguments betrays a profound ignorance of what the company has to offer, or has already done for the said countries.
The EO trained with, and embedded with the Angolans.
They retrained a commando unit. They devised plans and strategies with Angolan commanders in the HQ.
They flew Angolan mig-23s and SU-22s in combat. they drove Angolan BMP-2s to overrun Unita’s trenches to capture the diamond fields.
They used helicopters to insert 4 man recon teams behind Unita lines, to monitor the Ukrainian viktor Bout’s embargo busting weapons deliveries to unita held air strips.
The EO recon teams were equipped with Manpads, to down any incoming flights.
So, they were trainers, embedded advisers and combatants in that conflict.
In Nigeria, NA as the Australian negotiator said, has been unable to interdict the free movement of BH and their hordes of gun trucks.
The same obtained in SLR circa 1994. With one Mi-24 and one Mi-17, EO interdicted the movements of RUF, and harassed their hideouts constantly.
They eventually routed them from the diamond fields.
Nigeria has it’s own special forces, but the are not being employed correctly. If they were, the situation would not be what it is today.
We have some pieces of the puzzle right, but the overall state of affairs is confused and out of control.
That is why the US rushed advisers to Iraq and the Kurdish forces.
The Iraqis have a very well trained and well equipped special forces that were trained by the jordianians who have the best spec ops in the middle east.
Yet US advisers were needed to holistically review the situation, and diagnose the problems.
NA needs that sort of help and a PMC like EO has shown itself capable of rendering such complex assistance in the cases of angola, sierra leone and Uganda. (STTEP, that is.)
While we blog, and yap about solutions for the NA crises on the battle field, embedded PMCs or military advisors would device solutions with them on the ground.
Issues of interdicting BH’s free movement, even with the few air assets we currently posses.
Solutions to why NA defensive positions are not holding.
TTPs on force patrols.
Turning NA from the hunted in this conflict into the hunters.
This would be on the job training and advice as AMISOM benefitted from in Mogadishu’s urban battle field.
Oga peccavi, everything you said that the NA needs most now, TTPs and not equipment, would be best taught by a moral boosting, competent and experienced advisory group, whether it be public or private.
Since no nation would invest such expertise in helping Nigeria, we are left with the option of hiring one.
oga peccavi, please the british army did not win the war in SRL. they helped, yes, britain helped with training and use of their helos to transport men and munition. but please, they did not win any war. forget the so called perceptions after the SAS rescus ops, all those ‘perceptions’ only exists in the minds of western analysts. RUF did not care about any frigging perception. the british army barely even faced the RUF in combat. the SAS rescue ops was for brits held by renegade forces (ex SLA) and not the RUF.
nigeria’s policies in LBR and SRL were vague and sometimes hydra headed. the country did not contribute to ECOMOG in order to annihilate the NPLF, or the RUF for that matter. policies and strategies where always overlapping, and there was no single coherent strategy towards the war ravaged countries. and this was deliberate. IBB and Sani Abacha had their reasons for floating ECOMOG and keeping it for that long. it just wasnt about ending the war. this was where ECOMOG and EO strategies differed.
EO went to SLR for one purpose only, and that was to role back the rebels and end the war. NA units in SRL then (1995) where just an extension of the greater ECOMOG in LBR. their job was to control the MRU border and contain the rebels. yes once in a while, they went on the offensive, but there was no clear directive from abuja to annihilate the RUF. it was not until after the coup of ’97 (the orbat and dispersal of forces in freetown still remains an unclear mystery in that month of may) with the new coalition of Junta/RUF, did nigerian forces finally had a single aim; the reinstatement of alhaji teejan kabbah. and this they achieved in feb ’98.
continuing from where i left off. there was no single FC that went all out to destroy either taylor or sankoh. IBB did not like taylor, but Sani Abacha did, and the made him president. the same Abacha was not keen on sankoh, but he kept him in cushy detention in a guest house.
intervening in these countries wasn’t purely about destroying one group or the other. yes, they where to be contained, forced to the negotiating table, and prevented from ceasing power by force of arms. however, it was not about simply pushing them into neigbhouring countries and destabilizing countries those too.
a good illustration: the near destruction of Monrovia in ’96 by the various factions when taylor and kromah teamed up to wipe out johnson and his forces, ULIMO-J.
ECOMOG spent much of the war on the sidelines, while simultaneously supporting all sides differently. this was coming from the backdrop of ULIMO-J killing some Nigerian soldiers and abducting a Lt Col (all they did was apologize after the attack on the mining town, and their apology was accepted). yet, this same forces loyal to Roosevelt Johnson got support from NIGCON when they where being pressed hard by NPFL and ULIMO-K.
as for the FCs, non went out of their way to use pure military might to end the war. dogonyaro and olurin forced taylor to the negotiating table by defeating him on the battlefield. but they always kept their offensive posture very concise. in short, ECOMOG kept a defensive posture as a peacekeeper cum peace enforcer and vice versa, depending on what they where reacting to. only Kobe (he was never an FC) maintained an offensive posture with the clear aim of rolling back Junta/RUF forces. and he did so because there was a single objective directly from abuja. everything he did after re-installing kabbah, he did as CDS of the RSLMF, and not as ECOMOG commander.
Gentlemen,
Thank you for your honesty. Debate is always good as long as it is constructive. My intention was not to attempt to shame or embarrass you but rather to force you to look deep inside of yourselves. Beegeagle runs a blog that we ought to respect and that the NA can regard as a valuable resource. This can only be achieved when criticism is constructive.
As you know, intelligence drives strategy. Had intelligence been used correctly, valid predictions could have been made and a campaign strategy devised in time to counter BH. But, given the foreign training the NA has been subject to, one cannot blame the intelligent services – they can only do what they are trained to do.
Sitting way down south, I could see that the collapse of Libya and the subsequent problems in Mali were a forerunner for what was coming to Nigeria. These unintended consequences were there for all to see.
Then, as you know, terrain dictates tactics. Again, if doctrine is skewed and training not sufficient, troops can only do what they are trained to do.
This is why I am saddened to read negative criticism on the NA. The NA can only try to implement a strategy that is incomplete – subsequently an off-course operational design, and then tactics that may not be in line with terrain.
Insofar as training is concerned: Any trainer (local or foreign) that is not prepared to deploy with his trainees is not worth being called a trainer. If foreign trainers do not train the future armed forces’ instructors, then they are not worthy of being called trainers. Much of the operational difficulties the NA is experiencing can be directly traced back to incorrect training. Again, this begs the question: What has been the result of the many years of foreign training the NA has received?
Again, for fear of sounding like a stuck gramophone record, I sincerely believe that our armed forces across Africa are incorrectly structured. To make matters worse, we use doctrine and principles that are often irrelevant to Africa. More than anything, this places us in a huge disadvantage and gives our enemies a huge advantage.
Please continue your debates on the NA but for the sake of your country and this respected blog, keep it constructive.
Eeben
Oga EB, huge respect to you. the problem with Nigeria is that we are not even sure what the leadership truly wants to do with these miscreants called boko haram.
it is not a simple clear cut objective. while some peeps fear 5th columnists, others see this as pure political game. what i can say is that, there is more to this current conflict than those of us not in the centre of power can fully explain. the war is not just about weapons, combat and tactics. a whole lot are not being said.
in terms of doctrinal design, pure COIN is still new to the NA. however, they, the army, have been designing their own strategies according to local relevance. so even though some of these officers where trained abroad, they where able to create institutions with indigenous outcome rather than simply mirroring a foreign contemporary. this was how the war college (NDC) was created, also how JAJI and NDA have been continually upgraded for years now.
what we are currently facing is an insurgency where everyone has not agreed on how to fight the insurgents and the preferred outcome. while some might voice hopeful peace as an outcome (not all because some nefarious bigmen are busy sponsoring these terrorists), they generally disagree on whether the insurgents should be wiped out with force, or to sit with them and negotiate some compromise. therefore, the whole COIN is ambiguous to say the least. we have a significant part of the country’s population (including policy makers) that believes BH is the same as ND fighters. also the army continue to face attitudinal issues regarding this vermin. if we can have a UNITY of purpose, then BH will be completely defeated on the battlefield. until then, we would just have confusion and pretense from both sides.
as for NA vis a vis other armies in Africa, i always say the Angolan army is far different from their Nigerian counterpart. FAPLA/FAA was never given the chance to build as a true army. they where quickly phased into an army from liberation group and pushed into the deep end to combat FNLA and UNITA. so they never had that time for create a true ground force organisation. this is different from NA that of the Angolan independence, was already more than a hundred years old. today Angola enjoy the benefit of a strong army that was built with blood and sweat in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. but in the distant past, it would have been unfair to compare FAA to the NA, war materiel not withstanding. the FAA was forming up as they went, while NA already had the feet firmly planted.
Oga Doziex, Oga freegulf, Oga Jimmy,
First things first. A war ends when an enemy is no longer in control of the battlespace or else sues for peace knowing the war is unwinnable. At no point in ECOMOGs time did the RUF concede the battlespace or enter into the kind of comprehensive peace talks like it did post EO and post the British intervention. SO I am fairly confident in saying the decisive factors in both cases was the intervention of a force that took the fight straight to the enemy and defeated them. Guinea, Burkina Faso and Libya were supporting the RUF. This is not saying Nigeria did not help keep the RUF out, but we did not win the war. And therein lies part of our problem. Rather than clearheadedly looking at the conflict and asking why not, we are puffing out our chests and saying how awesome we were. Oga Doziex I’m sure you can tell me how many men EO had, how many assets etc?
Surely you can tell me whether it was the BMP or Hinds that were decisive? Or aggressively handled, well trained and well led troops, with an excellent logistics chain?
Once EO left and the Nigerians were reduced and there was the debacle of UNAMSIL, it was the Nigerians and Indians who did the ground fighting but the DECSIVE and I emphasise DECISIVE edge was the British effort.
You can cry about it from here to tomorrow or learn from reality.
Looking at EO and the British effort what do we learn operationally?
Mobility is key to defeating a light insurgency
Well trained (good discipline, fieldcraft, marksmanship) troops will always defeat poorly trained rebels in any engagement
Small contingents can have a decisive effect IF they are properly supported by Fires
Logistics, logistic, logistics are key to victory particularly in countries with a poor industrial base and poor infrastructure
Basic soldiering is key-patrolling, sentries, etc.
A force should be structured to deal with the terrain and enemy it faces and not simply planted straight into the bush to fight a mechanised Army on the Central European plain.
So after the war was there a Sierra Leone or Liberia study group in the NA? Did they make recommendations to the NA? If they did what happened? Or did we sit back loosen our belts, drink pepper soup and tell ourselves how we won a glorious victory if not for those dastardly Brits and South Africans.
Oga Doziex, how did the Israelis develop Sayaret Matkal, their premier SF unit? It started as 101 Bn commanded by Ariel Sharon. In their first ops they got smashed by the Arabs and came back and agonisingly learnt the lessons and created their vaunted SF units.
How did South Africa create the Parabats? Its modelled on the British Parachute Regiment? Did the Brits embed troops in them while they learnt or did they do the course come back, adapt it for South African conditions and develop from there.
And I never said EO could not work in Nigeria, Oga Eeben himself clearly said he offered his advice and was rebuffed. So the political leadership that puts its own comfort over support for the troops or that spends weeks denying that any of its citizens are kidnapped before turning round to say yes they are and they know where they are, is not yet mentally in the right place to either develop the Armed Forces either internally or with outside help. We paid for a 35 day course with the US National Guard SF. Wetin dem wan teach person in 35 days?
This is what I’m talking about. So much like the Sri Lankans we have many many dark years ahead until someone with power decided enough is enough
Oga Peccavi,
I think we are all arguing in circles on this matter but in many ways, we are saying the same things differently.
We all agree that something needs to be reconsidered by the NA senior staff and politicians.
All the points you raise re an effective fighting force are true and valid. Also, without manoeuvre, there can be no decisive attrition. Your enemy understands this and applies it.
Yes, British intervention was decisive in SL – but only after EO left and the NA was reduced to a much smaller force. But how many men did the Brits deploy and what air and other support did they have? (By the way, EO had no more than 250 men (that included rotations), a few battered Land Rovers, 2 semi-serviceable BMPs, 2 MI-17s and 1 Mi-24). And, how long did it take the Brits to achieve their victory – which by the way was and still is seen as a hollow victory.
That said, we can continue debating the issue but what is at stake here is the integrity of the NA – and by implication that of the Nigerian government.
Whereas we cannot and should not compare one conflict or war in Africa with another, we need to recognise that any successful defeat of an anti-government or rebel force requires:
1. An identification and understanding of the numerous threat-drivers
2. An identification and understanding of the numerous motivators for the enemy
3. Knowing and understanding the enemy’s armed groups
4. The national strategy needs to be formulated to ensure the integrity of both state and its citizens
5. The National Security Strategy is guided by the national strategy
6. The campaign strategy, along with all other strategies and operational designs must be guided by credible and actionable intelligence
7. Political and military will is required at all levels
8. Doctrine must be valid and constantly reviewed
9. Terrain determines tactics
10. Training, leadership, manoeuvre, logistics, intelligence and communications are the keys to victory.
Your assessment that there will be “many, many dark days” ahead is absolutely correct.
My concern is that the dark days carry with them immense reputational damage, loss of life and conflict protraction – at massive cost to Nigeria both economically and its standing as a continental powerhouse.
Eeben
Oga Eeben as ever I agree.
Again EOs campaign was a minimalist affair and as I always advocate
I agree in some ways about the British efforts (and I am not cheerleading) the main point I’m trying to make was that it took decisive actions by well led, well trained forces to deliver victory and the lessons learned for Nigeria should have been to create a light aggressive, all terrain force that combines mobility and firepower to achieve decisive effects. Exactly the kind of force that would help here
But much like Sri Lanka we will see a long period of unfortunate events, lots of suffering and death until hopefully the right decisions are made
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/09/45-boko-haram-members-killed-army-repel-attack-bama/
Now THAT is good news! Well done men!!
haba oga peccavi, at no time did RUF concede what?
after the failed invasion of freetown, all parties involved headed to lome for comprehensive peace o. even though the RUF bargained from a position of strength (they had the main diamond fields), it was negotiation that got them most of their candies and not battlefield success.
despite the new elected OBJ almost scuttling the whole process my announcing his intentions to withdraw NIGCON from ECOMOG once he ascends office, thereby making the Junta/RUF to hold out more, it was still combative negotiation that ended the war in ’99
so yes, the RUF did concede the battlespace and negotiated with the govt of SRL, and with ECOMOG standing by as the sword of shield of that nation in ’99.
once again, the british did jack! RUF surrendered to UNAMSIL after taking heavy beating from nigerian and guinean troops. these are facts that are barely mentioned. what britain did, however, was bold and it showed good leadership from blair, and the british gen sent to evacuate british nationals in SRL, who then decided to stay and help. but at no time did these guys see any major battle with the RUF. and as i have already mentioned, please discount ‘perception’, it does not work that way in this part of the globe.
maybe one or two brushfire, but the british contingent barely fired in anger against the RUF. and they where not the only army training and supporting the SLA, the canadians also did their fair share. now maybe we should also say they and the indian contingent won the war.
Oga Freeegulf,
Nigeria, like EO, is written out of the history books as it does not serve foreign interests that we are mentioned. The “victory” in SL must be given to foreign powers and the UN – who arrived after the RUF were defeated but who nevertheless allowed a new threat to develop. And then, suffered massive humiliation at the hands of the new threat but nevertheless saw it all as “successful”.
Rgds,
Eeben
Oga Freegulf, at times I dey tire to talk because small time people go talk say I be British agent, another time I go be Boko Haram.
Who won the first world war? The second world war? The British and French will tell you they both did. Which is true, however the decisive element in both cases was the infusion of American men and material. In the second world war American material supported by a huge and untouchable industrial base was the decisive factor. Man for man the Germans were far better soldiers and fought with discipline and good order right up to the last minute.
So the point I am making is not to denigrate Nigeria’s efforts, which were laudable and honourable but to make the point that what tipped the conflicts over the edge from stalemate to victory were in the first came Executive Outcomes. Albright and Blair decided to give the RUF everything they couldn’t achieve on the battlefield by pushing out EO and the Nigerian Army and then in the second case the decisive factor was the British intervention. The Nigerians and Indians did the bulk of the ground fighting but the decisive factors was the British intervention, Special Forces interdicting the borders and more importantly the restructuring and reforming the armed forces. All of which were backed up with a credible force, with mobility, ISR and firepower in Freetown and just off the case. Same with Mali. Like I said you can give me a timeline of engagements and the strategic outcomes to prove your point same as I asked for those who claimed it was the Chadians and Nigeriens who won in Mali.
As Chinua Achebe said ‘If you don’t like how someone tells your story, tell it yourself’. I am yet to read the official Nigerian history of the campaigns in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Were there any doctrinal lessons learned?
Majority of what I know about the operational and tactical elements of that conflict come from books written by former EO operators or journalists who followed them. One of them outlined a technique pioneered by the NAF for calling in airstrikes using AH to guide in the Alphajets, another mentioned an air to air ambush technique used successfully by the NAF. Have these been studied and embedded in our air to ground doctrines.
What were the lessons learn from the street fighting in Monrovia and Freetown? How did we adjust our force structures, logistic and echelon to resolve any problems we might have encountered or solutions innovated.
Every operational tour in Afghanistan there were lessons learned filtered down to the troops about to deploy, the South Africans deployed assessors and analysts with field units and came up with statistics pertaining the relative casualty rates, most likely time of day of attack and other factors.
Its time to stop the chest beating and make some clear headed choices. BB now there should be a wealth of information about BH’s TTPs. How is it being collated, stored and countered?
Oga Eebem, you now use the ‘Oga’ term. From now on you are officially an ”Oga” boy.
Thank you, Oje. But pray tell the “white guy”, what does “Oga” mean?
An Oga is a boss or leader. In the context of this blog I guess it could be a slightly higher form of Mr, Sir perhaps
oga doziex, you are not giving credit to where its due. yes some strategic mistakes where made in both LBR and SRL, but you should really try to know fully what gen Malu did in LBR. apart from his actions in ops octopus as COS, he distinguished himself even more circa ’96 as FC. he totally turned things around from one of despair and demoralization, to complete order and enabled a safe election in ’97.
as for Gabriel Kpamber, i think you as mistaking him for the other bornu born FC, Tim Shelpidi. it was the latter as FC, ECOMOG suffered during the dark days of ’98. the two senior officers directly responsible for saving freetown, are Kpamber and Khobe. without the leadership of the former, i think we would have lost even more men. Khobe came on the scene when his aide, an officer with the rank of major, was killed by the RUF, by then the line troops where already gritting their teeth and holding the trench. these two senior officers saved freetown.
the caldwell manoeuvre you mentioned, remains blurred. there was so much confusion with ECOMOG as a unit giving the multinational armies and different tactics of these armies that all contributed to the peace force. in some situations, you expect contingents to capture a ground, secure the ground, and allow other contingent to pass through in other to capture their own objectives. in other situations, two contingents groups manoeuvre simultaneously, with one group expecting its flank to be protected by the other. there where situations where the other group failed to advance thereby leaving her neighbour’s flank totally exposed to enemy attack. do not forget that prince johnson’s rebels where based in cadwell, and he formed a military alliance with taylor’s group thereby catching ECOMOG completely by surprise.
the turmaburg incident was very controversial at the time. it was not the fault of monrovia, rather the blame should lie squarely on the shoulders of the CO of the battalion in that mining town. it was he who, due to greed, double crossed his fellow miners (ULIMO-J) that led to the death of soldiers deployed there. the number of KIA, remains vague, some said 15, some said 50. whatever the case, it was a pretty sad incident and corruption was the reason for that attack. soldiers dropped rifles and picked shovels. this same trend would repeat again and again in SRL diamond fields.
ECOMOG did not intervene in either LBR or SRL with the mandate EO had. do not confuse stopping factions from slaughtering each other to a dedicated COIN force that had an objective to end the war. also, do not forget that some ECOMOG units where in SRL when EO and the other groups where contracted. the objective of these ECOMOG units where not to launch an offensive against the RUF.
if ECOMOG job was to directly decimate the rebels in LBR and SRL, then i bet you, the CIV, Burkina faso, would all have been bombed by nigeria, irrespective of whether France likes it or not. but no one saw the wisdom of going for full combat, and starting a regional war. this really frustrated gen dongoyaro, and IBB used this same cover to withdraw that great FC from monrovia.
weapons acquisition was a problem then and still is now. when they finally agreed to buy some mil helos, they where fighting for their own pocket between middlemen to russia and those to belarus, all these meant the Junta/RUF forces where able to advance without much resistance from the ground.
the part i completely agree with you is that nigeria do not learn. we just do not take policies serious enough to learn anything from them
Abeg wetin dey happen for Bama?
oga peccavi, you do have a point. my only bone here is that the British intervention was not as game changing as oyibo analyst would like people believe. the Lome accord was in ’99. OBJ withdrew the bulk of our forces from SRL same year. the UN manage to set up shop towards the end of that year. by 2000 they, the UN, had managed to piss off sankoh, the old man decided to advance from the interior down to Freetown. most UN forces scamper. NIGCON kept their cool and held firm, thus stopping the rebel advance. meanwhile Freetown panics. foreigners starts leaving. Blair sent in a British task force to evacuate Brits from the war ravaged country. the Brit brig, decided to be more creative and use helicopter assets to help ferry SLA to combat hot spots.
by 2001, the war entered its final stage with the invasion of guinea by the RUF. the RUF led by sessay is heavily defeated from two different ends; from SRL and guinea territory. this culminated in the mass surrender of RUF cadres. teejan kabah declares the end of the war; jan 2002.
this is the short and rough version of what happened between ’99 and ’02. the brits helped. they steered world attention (lip service though) to conflict diamond trade. shikena. that was it.
like oga EB said, NIGCON and EO have been air brushed from the canvas. i blame our bureaucratic machine, all those heroes today remain unsung.
we still haven’t learn anything from history. now boko yeye are running rough with NA in the NE. its a shame that this mindset continue to prevail among the brass hat of the military.