Nigeria Joins Mali War With 1,200 Troops

Nigeria is deploying 1,200 troops in Mali, where a war is raging to flush out insurgents from the North.

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday got the Senate’s nod for the deployment, which is to stave off the incursion of terrorists, who are already troubling some northern states through the Boko Haram.

The President will today attend an extra-ordinary session of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire, where the regional block’s full troops deployment will be approved.

Dr. Jonathan will be accompanied by Defence Minister of State Mrs. Olusola Obada and Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim.

Nigerian troops are to serve in the African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA) for “limited combat duties”.

Jonathan’s request for the Senate’s approval was contained in a nine-paragraph letter entitled “Notification to the Senate on the deployment of members of the Armed Forces on a limited combat duty to Mali and request for consent”.

The January 16 letter was read by Senate President David Mark and debated by the lawmakers who gave their consent unanimously.

Jonathan said: “Having satisfied myself that our national security is under imminent threat or danger as a result of the crises in northern Mali, I, in consultation with the National Defence Council, approved the deployment of a contingent of 1,200 members of the Armed Forces to serve in the African-led force (AFISMA) in Mali for limited combat duties.

“Nigeria is currently facing daunting security challenges and given its proximity to the Sahel region, the crisis in Mali, if not brought under control, may spill over to Nigeria and other West African countries with negative consequences on our collective security, political stability and development efforts.

“As a responsible member of the international community and given our recent experiences with insurgency and terrorist activities, especially in the northern parts of the country, I felt compelled to urgently approve the deployment of Nigerian troops.

“The deployment of Nigerian troops is in line with Security Council Resolution 2085(2012) and is necessitated by the need to combat armed and terrorist groups, including Al-Qaida in the Islamic Magreb (AQIM) and their activities, as well as proliferation of weapons from within and outside the region with grave consequences on the security and stability in the northern parts of Mali and beyond, including Nigeria.

“In view of the foregoing, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is respectfully invited to exercise its powers under Section 4(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as (amended) and to consent to the deployment of a contingent of 1,200 members of the Armed Forces to serve in the African-led force (AFISM)in Mali on limited combat duties.”

Jonathan invited the Senate to note the United Nation’s Security Council’s concerns on the continuing deteriorating humanitarian and security situation in the north of Mali, which is further complicated by the presence and entrenchment of armed and terrorist groups, including Al-Qaida in the Islamic Magreb (AQIM) and their activities; the proliferation of weapons from within and outside the region; the consequences of instability in the northern parts of Mali on the region and beyond; and the need to respond swiftly to preserve stability across the Sahel region.

He drew the attention of the Senate to the resolutions of the Security Council on the crisis in Mali, particularly Resolution 2071 (2012), which declared its readiness to respond to Mali’s request for an international military force; Mali’s request to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for military assistance, and ECOWAS letter of 28th September 2012 to the UN Secretary General, requesting a Security Council resolution authorising the deployment of a stabilisation force in Mali under Chapter VII mandate of the United Nations Charter.

He recalled that while unanimously adopting Resolution 2071 and Resolution 2085, the Security Council called on member-states as well as regional and international organisations to provide co-ordinated support to the request of the Transitional Authorities of Mali regarding an international military force assisting the Malian Armed Forces in recovering the occupied regions in the north of Mali, including thorough military training, provision of equipment and other forms of assistance in efforts to combat terrorist and affiliated extremist groups.

He noted that ECOWAS had constituted a Working Group with the responsibility of fashioning out the best way to implement Resolution 2085 of December 20, 2012, which endorsed the deployment of African-led force (AFISMA), under the Chapter VII for the resolution of the political and security crises in Mali .

Mark, who summed up contributions by senators on the request, said Nigeria is not just a big brother in ECOWAS but a big brother in Africa.

He noted that this country should be concerned about what happens in Africa, particularly if it will have ripple effects in Nigeria.

The Senate President said: “The situation in Mali is such that if we don’t get involved, we will not be able to cope with the consequence of it and I think it is on that basis we should act and act fast.

“I believe that the request is in order and our troops have performed extremely well any time they have gone outside this country and I think they are well equipped to move as quickly or to be deployed as quickly as it is possible.

“One important thing is that because of the nature of the crises in Mail and because of the characters involved, I strongly believe that if we do not intervene, even on our own, the rest of the African countries and a lot of the European countries will request that we intervene – for obvious reasons.

“It is not just that the rebels want to take over in Bamako, I think they also have a grand design to spread their tentacles well beyond the boundaries of Mali and that is the more reason we should try and join the other forces to nip it in the bud.”

He mandated the Committees on Defence and National Security to monitor Mali to ensure that Nigerian troops there are well equipped, well prepared and in a position to carry out the roles they have been sent there to undertake.

Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, who supported the deployment of troops to Mali, noted that the measure is in Nigeria ’s self interest.

The lawmaker added that apart from deployment of troops to Mali , Nigerians should work to contain the activities of Boko Haram.

For Lanlehin, whatever it takes to contain and rout Boka Haram from the country should be done and done urgently.

He noted that the manifestation in northern Mali is that terrorist groups are pushing to engulf Nigeria.

“It is in our self interest to arrest the situation” he said.

Other Senators who contributed included Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Senators Magnus Abe, Victor Ndome-Egba, Abdul Ningi, Ayogu Eze and Chris Anyanwu