By Richard Elesho, SA. Media, strategic communications
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, His Excellency, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, has advocated for the review of the mandate of the Multinational Joint Task Force, MNJTF, and made a strong case for better funding of the over a decade-old unit.
Ambassador Enikanolaiye made the call on Tuesday while presenting a Keynote Address at a 2-day high-level forum on Repositioning the Multinational Joint Task Force to effectively combat the evolving threat dynamics in the Lake Chad Region, which was
held at the National Defence College, Abuja. He added that Nigeria’s interest is partly propelled by its membership of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, LCBC, and commitment to seeking regional and global peace.
The Minister said the call for review of MNJTF’s operating mandate has become imperative because of new security and operational threats in the region. He listed the new threats to include pledge by Boko Haram to international terrorist groups, split within the Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP, resurgence of global geopolitical competitions, government deficit, and youth restiveness. Others are post covid-19 realities, return to unconstitutional changes of government, use of drones by terrorist groups, prolonged humanitarian crises, and the effect of new technologies.
Noting that “these features describe an ecosystem that is Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA),” the Minister commended the Defence Headquarters, DHQ, for convening the forum in collaboration with the Irregular Warfare Centre IWC.
The Minister said the combined effects of climate change, mis-guided religious zealotry, extremism and armed conflicts in the Lake Chad Basin had perennially put the population in a conflict trap, characterised by increased loss of livelihood, deepening poverty, widespread insecurities and humanitarian emergencies. He revealed that for drcades the vast hydrological resources and aquatic splendor of the Lake Chad which served as the mainstay and source of livelihood for the population in the shared basin area, had experienced significant depreciation, resources he said indigenous farmers, herders, fishermen and other economic groups relied to gain access to the lake to sustain their livelihoods.
Ambassador Enikanolaye who expressed Nigeria’s concern over the exit of the Sahel States from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), however assured that efforts were ongoing to restore trust and normalise relations within the region, adding that the Lake Chad countries and the Sahel countries constituted the major components of Nigeria’s foreign policy’s concentric circles.
Speaking on how to secure the Lake Chad Basin area, Ambassador Enikanolaye canvassed that succeeding Nigerian governments must continue to prioritise functional cooperation in the areas of health, transport, security, and technical matters through the LCBC as a functional institution to tackle social, economic and political dynamics that generate political rifts among States in the sub-region. He said cooperation in these areas will foster peace and security among the states
The Minister described Nigeria’s engagement in the MNJTF as a natural consequence of its membership of the LCBC and the realization that the threat of terrorism in the shared border areas of the Lake Chad region, is a transnational challenge which sub-regional security cooperation seeks to address, adding Nigeria was leveraging diplomatic relations to combat mutual trans border security threats in the region
He said the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration was committed to peace and security in the Lake Chad Basin area and had recently paid the arears of its financial obligations to the Lake Chad Basin Commission as well as seamlessly completing smooth leadership changes of the commission.
The Minister who recalled the sacrifices of fallen President Idris Derby Itno of Chad and the contributions of the Republic of Benin to the MNJTF made far-reaching recommendations to reposition the Force, some of which are:
“First is the review of the mandate of the MNJTF. The Concept of Operations was designed for a different era. The threats we face today — from cyber-enabled terrorism to the use of drones and sophisticated weaponry — require a mandate that is fit for purpose. The African Union should convene a review process that involves all stakeholders, including troop-contributing countries, the Lake Chad Basin Commission and international partners, while respecting the principle of subsidiarity.”
“Strengthen intelligence-sharing, early warning and response mechanisms. The Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit must be fully integrated, resourced and empowered. If possible, we should explore the establishment of a dedicated intelligence-sharing platform that includes not only MNJTF members, but also interested partners in the Sahel and beyond. Timely and accurate intelligence is the foundation of effective counterterrorism.
“Ensure predictable and sustainable funding for the MNJTF. The current reliance on voluntary contributions and ad hoc support is not sustainable. We should explore innovative financing mechanisms, including the establishment of a dedicated trust fund under the aegis of the African Union, including possible access to the African Union Peace Fund. The need for closer collaboration and African-led financing initiatives as the most effective approach to addressing issues of funding for the MNJTF cannot be over-stressed.
“Deepen engagement with Niger and other Sahel partners. The withdrawal of Niger from the MNJTF is a setback, but it needs not be permanent. We should continue to pursue a diplomatic strategy that addresses Niger’s concerns and creates incentives for re-engagement without sacrificing democratic and good governance principles. This could be done through a flexible framework that allows for different levels of participation by different countries.”
Earlier, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd) and the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. O.O Oluyede in their separate remarks called for joint efforts against insecurity and thanked Ambassador Enikanolaiye for honouring the invitation.
