Medieval in Africa: from bad to worse

[nairiporter]

What is that thing that looks like ISIL, quacks like ISIL, but is not ISIL? Well, you may have already guessed it, that is Boko Haram. They have proclaimed their own Caliphate too, but in the north-eastern parts of Nigeria. They also shock with their cruelty, which is escalating every next year. Although Nigeria is Africa's biggest economy and one

Comments

[tcpip]

There really seems to be a number of factors at play here.

a) An international problem but no call for an international force.
b) A military that is well-funded, but seems indifferent to the plight of the region under attack.
c) A country which is economically and religiously divided.

In the short term (a) could be dealt with in a manner that would put Boko back in their box. But it seems that (b) and (c) are the reasons why they had any opportunity for success to begin with.

[abomvubuso]

The Nigerian army has a great deal of responsibility for this mess, especially after the recent decisions of their command on the issue of desertion. A number of corrupt practices revealed a state of full anarchy all along the frontline.

If any help should come from abroad, first the Nigerians will have to convince the international community that that aid won't sink into a black hole.

[yes_justice]

Or a black flag.

[luzribeiro]

And they have entered Niger now.

[htpcl]

The Nigerian military budget is 600 times that of Boko Haram, and yet they're incapable of dealing with the group. That tells a whole story.

Spread a little happiness...

[johnny9fingers]

Asymmetric warfare and incompetence will do that. Sometimes asymmetric warfare will do that even if you are competent.

However, should the Nigerian military become competent...I would think there would be another blood-bath to wring ones' hands over. Which presents all new moral dilemmas: do we object to the wholesale slaughter of the bad looney religious jihadist types by bad fascist army types, or do we just turn a blind eye on the matter?

It is all horrible, and then we die. :)

RE: Spread a little happiness...

[htpcl]

Or we could, you know, try to address the root cause for radicalization, just for a change.

Re: Spread a little happiness...

[johnny9fingers]

It would be lovely, but just as with the Christian fundamentalists of America, the jihadist mindset seems difficult to shift, even if some sort of equality of opportunity and good education were in place, or even if political changes gave proper representation to folk. After all, fundamentalist Christians in the U.S. have political representation...and Egypt elected the Muslim Brotherhood...

And it's not as if the "root causes" are obvious in jihadists, any more than they are with religious fanatics anywhere, excepting I suppose for the call of the various prophets and messiahs, and the books of the religions which espouse particular rites of worship or catechisms of orthodoxy.

Corruption in Nigeria is endemic, true,..and tribalism too, but changing those patterns of behaviour takes time - generations, even; unless imposed from outside...(how very colonialist) but Boko Haram is a current problem.

Maybe I'm being unduly pessimistic, and there is a quick fix - but the usual method of throwing money at things may be insufficient.

[yes_justice]

The military complains that it is poorly equipped and lacking the firepower of its rival.

Targeting where they get their funding, weapons, and food seems an approach, but then they ask target with what?

So we send them hellfire missiles and show how to really kill. Or will they just give them to Boko Haram if we do?

Shit. Let ISIS, Al-Q, and BH all fight it out? I dunno. Will the real Caliphate please stand up? Then sit down.

[htpcl]

DQ, lol.