Colonel(rtd)Sambo Dasuki, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser
PM NEWS
12 February, 2015
Reports of the visit of the Special Representative of the Secretary General to West Africa to Abuja indicate that the United Nations had offered Nigeria the peacekeeping platform of the global organisation.The platform has two major components-the strategic and humanitarian. This, especially the strategic dimension, is an offer that must be rejected, if Nigeria is to protect whatever modicum of respectability it has left.
The offer of the deployment of peacekeeping in Nigeria, in whatever guise and shape, is a natural outcome of the slippery slope into damnation that was initiated by the African Union. This was with the connivance, we must admit, of the Goodluck Jonathan presidency. The initiative of the African Union expressed the unfortunate consequences of a very dysfunctional internal politics. That brand of politics that has now opened Nigeria to international ridicule. The UN is cashing in on this for relevance. This opportunism must be resisted because it has dangerous consequences for the future of Nigeria.
If accepted, Nigeria would be opened up to all manner of external interests who would play out very complicated game plans that can only overwhelm our country. At its meeting held on 24 November, 2014, the Peace and Security Council of the African Union considered the regional efforts being deployed to combat Boko Haram terrorist group and agreed on steps to be taken to by the African Union Commission in support of member states of the Lake Chad Basin Commission plus One (Benin).
This culminated in the establishment of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) of the Lake Chad Basin Commission Against Boko Haram Terrorist Group by the African Union. As humiliating as this development is, notwithstanding the significant diminution of our stature, the MJTF is an instrument that Nigeria can still influence or impact.
Operations of the United Nations in distressed countries are a different monster in a different category with their own peculiar internal dynamics that could immensely fragilise or even finish off Nigeria. Nigeria would be a mere pawn in the hands of very experienced international playmasters.
The offer of SRSG Ibn Chambas of the UNDPKO platform to Nigeria is unfortunate as it represents the very nadir of humiliation that failed states are consigned to. Peace keeping operation by the United Nations is the last resort when all else has failed and desperation has set in as in the cases of Liberia and Sierra Leone at the turn of the last century.
The formal UN rhetoric apart, peacekeeping in reality is also a tool of powerful states to recalibrate and reconfigure the destiny and directions of states that they perceive to be their playgrounds. In some situations, such state failures are contrived by elite states with strategic interest to protect as in Cote d’Ivoire, when the United Nations, acting as a proxy for France, instituted international intervention in that country. In Liberia, it is the United States and Britain in Sierra Leone. In Guinea Bissau, it is a struggle for control between France and Portugal that has left the country prostrate and now with many complications.
Also, in a way, the offer of the peacekeeping platform is a logical development considering the constant attempt of the United Nations to be perceived as occupying the front role in peacekeeping globally. With the roll out of the MJTF, the United Nations DPKO cannot be seen standing by.
It may also be observed that historically, sub regional and regional forces have always been in the lead in doing the heavy lifting in robust peacekeeping, only for the United Nations, rather than support regional efforts have supplanted them under the guise of transforming the operations into a DPKO. The usual excuse is that it can mobilise more logistics and funding. But these come at a cost.
In Liberia and Sierra Leone, ECOMOG did the dying and the DPKO takes the credit. Nigerians died massively in both countries, but the formal narratives of how the conflicts ended give Britain and the United States the major accolades. Narratives are that important. The United Nations is successful in this because regional organisations are poorly organised and funded. Even when they deploy successfully, their operational capacities are weak due to poor funding of their member states.
The most damning indictment of the United Nations DPKO is in transforming African peacekeeping operations into jobs for the boys and girls from smaller but rich Northern European states that clamour for more high profile posts to compensate them for their huge financial investments in the organisations. These international emergency senior peacemakers often have no iota of appreciation of what the issues are that they are mediating. South Sudan is a more poignant example.
In a perverse sense, these people feed on the misery of Africa. Even the Africans sometimes deployed must accept the logic of the organisation and its major paymasters and become tools of western establishments. Their careers are more important. In the end, these operations have become strategic political contrivances and their true raison d’etre has nothing to do with the nobility of the altruism of the UN charter.
Nigeria must on no account be brought this low, for whatever reasons.
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Let me restate the fact, Naijaseal, that the most horrendous mistake our leaders, political and military, can make in 2015 when the CIA says Nigeria shall cease to exist as a nation, would be to allow foreign forces from anywhere to come into our country. ONLY the four neighbours on the Lake Chad have any business getting involved and even those can only be allowed to fight BH from their own territories.
It is clear that there is an attempt by certain powers to have Nigeria isolated and that our so called traditional partners are sitting on the fence. We must now temporarily do what is expedient and needful and sign a 5-year mutual defence treaty with either China or Russia. That way, they bring the leverage that is their weighty veto power and formidable military capabilities to bear on this situation should any foreign clowns decide to attempt to undermine our sovereignty any further.
You can see how well that has worked for Syria as the harbingers of subterfuge and regime change moved to lead Syria to a new era of ruinous “openness and democracy” such as has shattered the peace and stability of the nations of Tunisia, LIBYA and EGYPT.
After the gang-up against the nationalist government of Ukraine and its contrived implosion as engineered by foreign powers who are eager to suck that strategically important country into their own orbit, staunch Russian support has quickly tilted the balance of power in Ukraine’s eastern flank and industrial hub in favour of infinitely more nationalistic elements.
More importantly, in Dagestan and Chechnya, supposedly demoralised Russian forces who had been written off by the loquacious and self-absorbed but ignorant Western media, have decisively turned around precarious military situations.
There are other more dependable partners who can be of immense benefit to our war effort, IF we find the courage to do what must be done for peace to reign in our land.
This is a huge insult! I hope Dasuki will restate his earlier position again again that Nigeria does not need external help! Has the UN peacekeeping mission finished their job in Ukraine where the US and EU on the platform of NATO has decided to engage Russia? Has the UN restored peace to that country or is Ukraine on another planet?
We mustn’t even think of it as Nigerians and if anyone thinks of it and brings it up, we must SHOVE it down their throats! Let the go and clean up the mess they created between Israel and the middle east first as well as Libya, let them quell the fire in Ukraine, Syria and Libya first before they think of coming to help us fight Boko haram in PEACEFUL Nigeria.
No UN peacekeeping force has ever succeeded anywhere in history. We warned that this day was going to come when the idea of global solution will come and believe ne there are many lazy fat cat pen pushing generals who would heartily support this sovereignity degrading measure for their own agrandisement.
LEST WE FORGET, here are some of the understated INTERESTS at PLAY. Only a prostrate Nigeria favours the actualisation of some of these greedym nihilistic agendas.
Remember how Rwanda’s occupation of parts of eastern DR Congo led to the illegal looting of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of COLTAN?
Back to Nigeria, read these excerpts:
Securing Strategic Minerals for War
Matériel
Those interests, erroneously attributed to the American people, include oil — Nigeria is the 13th largest oil producer in the world — and numerous strategic minerals, including chromium, cobalt, platinum and manganese. Without these minerals, “it would be virtually impossible to produce many defense products such as jet engine, missile components, electronic components, iron, steel, etc.,” notes a report issued by the U.S. Marine Corp.
The main competitor for these strategic minerals is China,which has pushed aside the United States and France in African trade. Africom was established explicitly to counter this perceived threat.
In 2012, The Guardian noted: To reassert its waning influence on
the continent in the face of growing Chinese investment, the US established Africom – the “Africa Command” of the US military – in October 2008. Africom co-ordinates all US military activity in Africa and, according to its mission statement, “contributes to increasing security and stability in Africa – allowing African states and regional organizations to promote democracy, to expand development, to provide for their common defense, and to better serve their people”.
Or, more accurately, to provide for the military-industrial complex, as Vice Admiral Robert Moeller pointed out during a conference in 2008. Moeller said Africom’s mission is about preserving “the free flow of natural resources from Africa to the global market.”
You left Yemen out of that list. That country has spun itself into a vortex since foreign interests and powers arrived to lead them to a new era of “openness and democracy”
The reality today is that life in Yemen has become even more brutish, nasty and short, the alarm bells of secession are ringing loud in the formerly independent South and the Houthis from the far Northwest have virtually seized the levers of national power.
Does the NSO have a twitter handle pls?
Absolutely true! Yemen should be on that list.
The USA rushed in advisers, trainers, helicopters, Hummers and carried out drone strikes after Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried his underwear bombing stunt over America. Look at Yemen now. In what way have they been better off with foreign intervention by America and Saudia?
PATRIOTIC! GENERAL OLUKOLADE LAMPOONS NIGER’S DEFENCE MINISTRY FOR CALLING NIGERIAN SOLDIERS COWARDS
admin | February 13, 2015 | News | No Comments
General-OlukoladeThe Director of Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, on thursday responded to a rude, irksome comment contained in a release signed by Niger’s Defense Minister, Mahamadou Karidjo which suggests that Nigerian troops are cowards. According to the Nigeriens on their Army, they said; “Our soldiers are not like Nigerians. They don’t run.”
Gen. Olukolade who rose in defense of the Nigerian Military released a statement via social networking site, Twitter said the Nigerian Military is a Professional Military that accords it’s neighboring forces due respect while condemning the irresponsible comment by the Nigerien Defence describing it as crossing the boundaries of respect by the ‘poor country’, he said:
Re: NIGER – Nigerian Soldiers remain undaunted despite attacks and insults. They have been maximizing the use of available resources to keep at bay these terrorists who keep flooding in from around. Our troops have with due decency & professionalism respected borders.
Unlike others reputed for looting, mercenary engagement/collaboration with terrorists as a way of surviving the poverty in their country. Our soldiers have remained professional & sacrificial in protecting their fellow Nigerians, preserving the nation’s assets.
Despite these jeerings, insults & ill wishes from within or without Nigeria, the Nigerian Soldier has not & will not be deterred. He remains the gallant, brave and patriotic Nigerian Soldier. Although these battles continue, and others are now joining him, never mind; very soon, it will be #VictoryforNigeria. The Nigerian Military remains a great asset and the envy of other Nations.
He also called on Nigerians to be patriotic, suggesting that despite our internal squabbles and wrangling we must not allow an outsider disrespect our nation, while condemning political actors who “to the press with the Nigerien gaffe hoping to embarrass our military or government. But nobody will disrespect my Mother!”
“We don’t cross our boundaries. It is unacceptable for any Foreign Government to say our Soldiers run. This is your Motherland! Defend Her!”
Olukolade condemned the unpatriotic action of politicians who obviously were promoting the story and defended Niger against the Nigerian Military suggesting that they might indeed be sponsors of the untoward remark in their characteristic efforts to ridicule the Military.
“Poor Niger! Treacherous ones amongst us accorded them effrontery to insult our troops to gain bad press. Don’t compromise your Patriotism!”
He also had a final punch for the Niger Government; “Our soldiers have been defending our people & Nations wealth from mercenaries supplied to Boko Haram by those who boast that they don’t run” he added.
Niger Republic border towns are heavily populated by dual nationality smugglers and arms traffickers. They are the main supporting social infrastructure for Boko Haram and it is only now that the Niger Republic has commenced a half hearted job at killing these Boko. Harangue elements albeit with rising negative propaganda thrown our way.
NO! that sums it u7p for me.
up*
BH CARRY OUT FIRST ATTACK IN CHAD; SOLDIER, 4 CIVILIANS DEAD IN ATTACK ON VILLAGE AND MILITARY CAMP
http://www.africa.afpmobile.com/pl/svt/si/afp/po/opafrica/sc/afp_en_africa/dk/afpmobile.02-13-2015.2845/ms/jtPeXGTV4K/pa/176047/uid/
Oga beegs, email sent to u, awaiting ur comments pls
Boko Haram has attacked the ‘mighty Chad’ for the first time..
Lefa, it was bound to happen. I am sure that even Chad know that they have been hyped beyond their capabilities. Yes, they are basically a guerrilla army which is trying to morph into a conventional army and that is good depth when fighting against irregulars. They also know how to fight well in Sahelian and desert precincts, tactical nous gained from fighting in the predominant geographical feature of their country. Beyond that, the rest is overblown by tramps and trolls in the Western media who are more interested in humiliating Nigeria.
The fact remains that a BH which is attacking in Nigeria will not be fazed at the prospects of going against any army in the neighbourhood, how ever much the global pundits writing from behind their desks in Europe, North America and South Africa, try to skew the narrative. They attacked Chad because they feel that if they can attack the Nigerian Army, they can more easily take on the Chadian Army who, in the long run, do not have the depth in numbers, resources and materiel which the much-maligned Nigerian Armed Forces can put together, IF the FG set their minds to it and pull out all the stops to force an outcome.
BH are a suicidal group. Even if France get to ground in Cameroon, BH will attack without recourse to what France think of their expeditionary prowess. Worst case scenario, they will throw suicide bombers at them. Mark my words.
Reality is starting to kick in as the determination, resilience and real abilities of BH begin to dawn on those who put the continued operations of BH terrorists down to incompetence and corruption in the Nigerian military.
It is telling that BH chose to attack Chad after the got into the fight. If that does not show guts and resolve, I wonder what does. The attack on Chad is what it is – an act of defiance. The pundits now have to go back and reinvent the story. Since the MNJTF mustered two weeks ago, BH have attacked in all four countries on the Lake Chad, opening new fronts in Niger and Chad as they did.
Big No to this issue
Any attempt to even TRY it and we shall be plunged into a war that will disintegrate this country. How has foreign-inspired military action helped Iraq, Yemen, Libya or Tunisia?
Heard the CIA and the american army ran out of Yemen with their tails between their legs.
Typical cowards.
Heard they were even humiliatingly disarmed and their 4 wheel drives seized before they ran away in their plane.
These americans with their drone strikes, training and support for the Yemeni army could not even save them.
Nigeria must learn a lesson and depend only on itself.
Any country that invites americans on their soil is seeking disintegration.
What Peace Keeping? The peace they fail to keep in Eastern Ukraine, the peace they fail to keep in Gaza, the peace they fail to keep in somalia, the peace they fail to keep in Libya, SO WHAT ARE THEY KEEPING? — WAR!!! They don’t keep Peace, they keep War. How many country are they able to keep their peace? That is Syria that had been fighting for over 3 “solid” YEARS without them having solution to it. Just few hours ago, it was reported that ISILT has taken partial country of a town near the US military training camp in Iraq. So, it’s a matter of time before ISIL go on a discourse/attempt at that base. UN, go and do your homework first. Put your own in order before pokenosing in someone else’s BUSINESS. WE, NIGERIAN SAY “NO” TO UN ‘trojan horse’ PEACE KEEPING.
Barely few hours after my first comment, ISIL attacked the US military base in Ansar, Iraq which was repelled. Now let’s see the prowess of the super power in tackling ISIL. NA are fighting gallantly and had confined the insurgent to some part of NE Nigeria, when the Almighty US is unable to stem the bud of ISIL in Iraq and Syria. Coalition forces have carried out THOUSANDS of sorties against ISIL yet, they haven’t been able to control them. They have the gut to defame, devalue, insult and talk craps about the Nigeria Army, now let’s see what they will do in Iraq since one of their base is attacked. If ISIL overrun the US base(which i pray they will not), then they will remember that “What goes around comes around”. Imagine what will happen to the US army reputation if they overrun the camp.
#VictoryForNigeria
I dey solidly with you Oga Colloid.
U.N, America, Britain, E.U, A.U., Please mind your own business.
You are all thiefs, looking for some where to steal.
Please, stay away from Nigeria:
GOD BLESS NIGERIA!!!
As a man who is well informed in Nigeria, let me all tell you that our country is not just been envied but it is attacked from all angles. All our neighbours are not in support of our progress. Chad, Cameroon and poor Niger are only fighting boko haram because of the recent offensive the Nigerian military is conducting so that boko haram wouldn’t fall into their countries……and gradually, boko haram are attacking them all because right now Nigeria is too hot for them.
The $1billion loan collected to purchase weapons for Nigeria has not been used yet oh……as I speak, purchasing & payment of new weapons is about to commence…by next week we would start hearing new stuffs.
My only problem is why the west wants to enter Nigeria badly……why do they want to destroy us……why do they want to implant their Satanism on us against our will? what do they want?
One of the western government folk said Nigeria would breakup in 2015. my brothers, that was a sign……..I’m sure it slipped off his lips. please FG….do all you can to resist such barbaric attempts by the so called UN.
can someone explain to me why?
Oga Williams, Nigeria is a threat, our population is a threat, Nigeria is made to dominate the world. We shall dominate through the womb of our women.
It is human to envy others, either due to their foreseen progress in them or out of sheer hatred.
Nigeria is endoured with intelligence, resources, man power, and religious firmness.
Please, take a look at our stand at the issue of gay marriage. We must not even be surprise that some of our neighbour countries are being pushed against us. On this vein i sincerely agree with the bloggers here to put in place a solid and well equipped army.
Niger has the gut to insult us because Nigerians themselves are full un patriotism for their country. Infact, i could not believe my self that a country such as Niger said such a thing.
I would even suggest here that a curriculum should be included in Nigerian schools to treat themes like PATRIOTISM. It might go a long way to gear our future YOUTHS on the love they are bound to have for their beloved country-NIGERIA!
The Battle continues. Let’s go on the media offensive.
GOD BLESS NIGERIA!!!
GOD BLESS MY FELLOW OGAS HERE ON BEEGEAGLES.
Two things everybody seems to have conveniently ignored were two statements from Olukolade’ s tweet;
1. “…Unlike others reputed for looting, mercenary engagement/collaboration with terrorists as a way of surviving the poverty in their country. Our soldiers have remained professional & sacrificial in protecting their fellow Nigerians, preserving the nation’s assets….”
2. “…Our soldiers have been defending our people & Nations wealth from mercenaries supplied to Boko Haram by those who boast that they don’t run”
So we actually knew from time immemorial that most of all the successes of Boko Haram (killing, kidnapping and raping in Nigeria) were actually due to active collusion/collaboration of rogue members of Nigerien and Chadian armies moonlighting and selling their services on these occasions.
So my question is this; why are we in bed with these same countries trying to use them to defeat Boko Haram, even permitting them to operate independently twice with unrestricted operational scope?.
Oga are james, God bless your huzzle. We knew them from the onset of this insurgency but now that we are in a mission of decimation, we must not let this halt our progress. After we might have say “Mission Accomplished” then, we can start thinking about them. They are just distractiom on our way to progress. UN peace keeping, Niger insult on NA, media war on us, HW stupid claims— are all the Distractions placed on our way to victory. Let’s be FOCUSED ,for Every Problem has an Expiry Date.
#VictoryForNigeria
Exactly! Oga colloid.
We need to be totally focussed.
When this is done, we must seek to shape our neighbourhood in our own image. We are the colossus in this region, and should be looking to trade, buy, force or flatter our way into our neighbours politics to install those we like and remove those we don’t.
Our neighbours form the outer perimeter of our security, the bigger our economy grows the more crucial this fact becomes. We must dominate them with all the skills and levers at our disposal.
“When this is done” should be “when this is concluded.”
UNITED NATIONS EXPECT NIGERIA TO DO MORE IN FIGHT AGAINST BOKO HARAM
http://www.mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN0LH24320150213?irpc=932
Gentlemen, recall my thesis on this same blog recently that the BH insurgency might go the way of the LRA in Uganda? The UPDF ‘exported’ the LRA to CAR, DRC and South Sudan. Now, BH is ‘exporting’ or ‘deporting’ itself to Cameroon, Chad and Niger-the slave has finally decided to disobey its master! I repeat, he who rides a tiger….Unfortunately, in the fullness of time, Nigeria will not go into any of these countries to go and help them. They will have to use their overhyped military forces to do their own dirty job.
Sirs, a thousand apologies. The third sentence in my earlier post should have read “Now, BH is ‘exporting’ or ‘deporting’ itself to Cameroon, Chad and Niger under a barrage of massive firepower from Nigeria’s combined land and air forces-the slave has finally decided to disobey its master!
United Nations itself is an agent of USA/EU neo-colonization of Africa. Fact !
http://odili.net/news/source/2015/feb/13/820.html
This is what happens when the UN gets involved,
Also to note the US marines were DISARMED, and had their coveted Humvees seized by HOUTHI militas the same people who paid BILLIONS of $ to an alcoholic, human right violator of YEMEN were amongsts the first to scurry out the dollar as as Country that was supposed to be their ally COMPLETELY disintegrates under their watch for those with rose colored glasses who think the US will do meaningful in Nigeria wake me up when you see it.I PERSONALLY BELIEVE GEJ was misquoted when he asked the US for help, Buhari like most Nigerians spoke from a sense of FRUSTRATION about the current spate of events, anyway let us wait and see what happens in the coming weeks MONGUNO appears to be flying the green white green once again.
God bless Nigeria
Amen
As UN Force was rejected Operation FLINTLOCK by USA is suddenly here, France providing intel to chad/cameroon, nw USA wants to do same with Chad…..Turn to China for more Heavy Weaponry Nigeria