This oped piece from the National Post is reproduced under the Fair Dealing provision of the Copyright Act.
Matt Gurney: Boko Haram finally found a way to get the West involved in Africa
May 13, 2014 3:36 PM ET
It takes a lot to rouse the West into action in Africa, but Boko Haram seems to have found a way. They may come to regret that.
For the last five years, Boko Haram’s fighters have ridden high, dealing the Nigerian security forces a series of embarrassing defeats.
Their winning streak may have come to an end.
Nigeria missing girls search sees U.S. surveillance, reconnaissance aircraft joining hunt for Boko Haram
A Nigerian government official said “all options are open” in efforts to rescue almost 300 abducted schoolgirls from their Islamic extremist captors as U.S. surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft started flying over the West African country.
Boko Haram, the militant group that is holding some 276 female students it kidnapped last month from a boarding school in northeast Nigeria, said the girls will only be freed after the government releases jailed militants.
Nigeria’s initially suggested there would be no negotiations with Boko Haram but it appears that stance may be relaxed.
Mike Omeri, the director of the government’s information agency, called the National Orientation Agency, said the government will “use whatever kind of action” it takes to free the girls. He also warned that a military operation, with foreign help, was possible.
While the Western world did little more than tsk-tsk when the Islamist separatist group planted bombs and machine-gunned civilians, the recent attack on a girls’ school may have been an outrage too many. With an estimated 300 school girls, aged 15-18, now held as sex slaves — “wives,” in Boko Haram’s warped description — the world has finally noticed what this wretched group of 21st century pirates have been up to. Rallies have been held, politicians and public figures throughout the West are posing for photos holding signs reading, “Bring back our girls.”
And more tellingly, a quiet buildup of Western military might is now taking place — including, it is now being reported, Canadian forces.
In a report for CTV News, national affairs reporter Mercedes Stephenson says that Canadian forces are not just preparing to deploy, but some are there already. This followed a recent announcement by Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird that “there are Canadians who have arrived on the ground in Nigeria who are working with the United States and the United Kingdom to work on the freedom of these young girls.” There are reportedly more Canadian troops on the way, as well, including special forces personnel tasked with a “security” mission that may include hostage rescue but does not, notably, include hostage negotiation.
The details of the Canadian military operation in the region are scant. Indeed, if you’ve read the above paragraph, you’re pretty much fully dialled in on what has been made publicly available. But there is more that can be discerned. It was just last month that Stephens reported on work being done by the Canadian Special Operations Regiment in Niger, which is (somewhat confusingly) a separate but neighbouring country to Nigeria, where Boko Haram abducted the school girls. The Canadian mission there, much of which remains shrouded in secrecy, involved Canadian commandos training Niger’s security forces in counter-terrorism.
Clearly we have an interest in the region, and the means (and willingness) to contribute. Indeed, though this is purely speculation on my part, rather than deploying forces to Nigeria from Canada, it’s possible that some of the early planning work — those first boots on the ground, to echo Minister Baird — could be troops rushed over from the country next door. More forces may, probably will, follow on from Canadian in the coming days. But the earliest steps of that deployment — preparing accommodations, securing supplies, liaising with local military and political officials — could easily be handled by the staff officers already deployed to the region.
Whatever the ultimate disposition of Canada’s deployment, it’s clear that Nigeria is getting the help it has asked for. On Tuesday, the Pentagon confirmed that U.S. Air Force assets were active in Nigeria, with manned and remotely controlled aircraft performing reconnaissance sweeps of the remote, wooded area where Boko Haram is believed to have taken the girls. Senior U.S. military commanders have also visited the region for consultations. British military planners arrived last week to assist local forces. China and Israel have offered assistance locating Boko Haram. All of this is on top of the requests made last week by Nigeria for specific forms of technical assistance, which included a request to Canada for surveillance assets.
Before anything can happen, of course, Boko Haram’s hideout must be found, which is technically feasible but may prove time consuming. After it’s located — hopefully before too many girls are sold into slavery or further victimized by their captors — a variety of choices will have to be made. Should negotiations try to secure the release of the girls without violence? Should a ransom be paid? If a military strike to destroy the group, and rescue as many hostages as possible, be launched, what kind of operation should it be? A Nigerian operation, with Western technical aid and training support, or a foreign action by U.S. and allied forces, conducted on Nigerian territory with the government’s permission?
We don’t have these answers yet. We may not for some time. But it’s clear that the Western world, including Canada, has decided that forcing hundreds of girls into sexual slavery, and boasting about it on video messages, is a step too far. It takes a lot to rouse the West into action in Africa, but Boko Haram seems to have found a way. They may come to regret that.
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