The United States Department of Defence (DOD), on Thursday explained why its air operation to assist Nigeria in locating and rescuing the abducted Chibok school girls is based in Chad rather than on the Nigerian soil.
Chad shares a substantial part of its western border with north eastern
Nigeria, the operational base of the Islamic terrorist group Boko
Haram, which five weeks ago kidnapped over 200 students of Government
Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.
A lot of tongues have been wagging following the revelation that the 80 Air Force troops and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that the US sent to strengthen international assistance would be based in Chad. That is more so, as the UK, which has deployed its state-of-the-art surveillance plane – The Sentinel – in the search for the girls, also said the plane will be operating from Accra in Ghana, rather than any Air Force base in Nigeria.
Some commentators allege that the situation signals a no-confidence vote by the world powers on Nigeria’s security agencies.
But dispelling the impression, Army Col. Steve Warren, Director of Pentagon Press Operations, said the UAV system and Air Force personnel
were deployed not to Nigeria but neighbouring Chad under an agreement with the Chadian government, to allow the aircraft spend more time in the air.
“Flying these aircraft from Chad significantly increases search time over potential Boko Haram camps in Nigeria and surrounding countries,” the DOD spokesman said.
“We’re thankful for cooperation from the government of Chad and our international partners for this basing agreement,” according to a report filed Thursday night by American Forces Press Service.
He further disclosed that, “this is the third system that we’ve put into Chad in addition to (systems that have) been providing (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or) ISR up until Wednesday.”
Following an agreement reached between Nigeria and the US for assistance to rescue the abducted girls, President Barack Obama of
the United States had on May 21, as required by the War Powers Resolution, notified Congress of the deployment of Air Force personnel to Chad in a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate. The letter read in part: “These personnel will support the operation of intelligence,surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft for missions over northern Nigeria and the surrounding area.
The Force will remain in Chad until its support in resolving the kidnapping situation is no longer required.”
The American Forces Press Service quoted another Pentagon spokesman, Army Lt. Col. Myles B. Caggins, as saying: “The team in Chad is there in support of one of our ISR assets — an unarmed, unmanned aerial vehicle that is helping to support the search for the students.”
He assured that, “the majority of the Air Force personnel are dedicated to the launch, recovery and maintenance of the aircraft,” adding that “we’ll continue to evaluate the resources we might bring to bear in support of the effort in close consultation with the Nigerian government.”
Also on May 21, during a hearing on Boko Haram before the US House of Foreign Affairs Committee, Deputy Assistant Secretary of
Defense for African Affairs, Amanda J. Dory, announced that “DOD is taking action to help the Nigerian government find the students and
address the growing threat posed by Boko Haram .
She said DOD’s initial efforts involve working with Nigerian security personnel to identify gaps and shortfalls and provide requested expertise and information, including ISR.
She added: “We’re also working closely with the U.K., France and other international partners in Abuja to coordinate multilateral
actions. Our intent is to support Nigerian-led efforts to safely recover the girls and help catalyze greater efforts to secure the
population of Nigeria from the menace of Boko Haram .”
She disclosed that, “along with other U.S departments and agencies, DOD has been engaging for some time with the government of Nigeria to help build its capacity to respond,” stating that in late April, the DOD began working with Nigeria’s newly created counterterrorism-focused ranger battalion.
This, she said, was in addition to the DOD and the U.S State Department working closely with Nigeria to enhance security along Nigeria’s
borders with Chad, Niger and Cameroon, to counter the Boko Haram threat. She said the idea behind this is also to build border security capacity and promote better cooperation and communication among each country’s security force to reduce Boko Haram’s operational space and safe havens.
Daily Times.
A lot of tongues have been wagging following the revelation that the 80 Air Force troops and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that the US sent to strengthen international assistance would be based in Chad. That is more so, as the UK, which has deployed its state-of-the-art surveillance plane – The Sentinel – in the search for the girls, also said the plane will be operating from Accra in Ghana, rather than any Air Force base in Nigeria.
Some commentators allege that the situation signals a no-confidence vote by the world powers on Nigeria’s security agencies.
But dispelling the impression, Army Col. Steve Warren, Director of Pentagon Press Operations, said the UAV system and Air Force personnel
were deployed not to Nigeria but neighbouring Chad under an agreement with the Chadian government, to allow the aircraft spend more time in the air.
“Flying these aircraft from Chad significantly increases search time over potential Boko Haram camps in Nigeria and surrounding countries,” the DOD spokesman said.
“We’re thankful for cooperation from the government of Chad and our international partners for this basing agreement,” according to a report filed Thursday night by American Forces Press Service.
He further disclosed that, “this is the third system that we’ve put into Chad in addition to (systems that have) been providing (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or) ISR up until Wednesday.”
Following an agreement reached between Nigeria and the US for assistance to rescue the abducted girls, President Barack Obama of
the United States had on May 21, as required by the War Powers Resolution, notified Congress of the deployment of Air Force personnel to Chad in a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate. The letter read in part: “These personnel will support the operation of intelligence,surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft for missions over northern Nigeria and the surrounding area.
The Force will remain in Chad until its support in resolving the kidnapping situation is no longer required.”
The American Forces Press Service quoted another Pentagon spokesman, Army Lt. Col. Myles B. Caggins, as saying: “The team in Chad is there in support of one of our ISR assets — an unarmed, unmanned aerial vehicle that is helping to support the search for the students.”
He assured that, “the majority of the Air Force personnel are dedicated to the launch, recovery and maintenance of the aircraft,” adding that “we’ll continue to evaluate the resources we might bring to bear in support of the effort in close consultation with the Nigerian government.”
Also on May 21, during a hearing on Boko Haram before the US House of Foreign Affairs Committee, Deputy Assistant Secretary of
Defense for African Affairs, Amanda J. Dory, announced that “DOD is taking action to help the Nigerian government find the students and
address the growing threat posed by Boko Haram .
She said DOD’s initial efforts involve working with Nigerian security personnel to identify gaps and shortfalls and provide requested expertise and information, including ISR.
She added: “We’re also working closely with the U.K., France and other international partners in Abuja to coordinate multilateral
actions. Our intent is to support Nigerian-led efforts to safely recover the girls and help catalyze greater efforts to secure the
population of Nigeria from the menace of Boko Haram .”
She disclosed that, “along with other U.S departments and agencies, DOD has been engaging for some time with the government of Nigeria to help build its capacity to respond,” stating that in late April, the DOD began working with Nigeria’s newly created counterterrorism-focused ranger battalion.
This, she said, was in addition to the DOD and the U.S State Department working closely with Nigeria to enhance security along Nigeria’s
borders with Chad, Niger and Cameroon, to counter the Boko Haram threat. She said the idea behind this is also to build border security capacity and promote better cooperation and communication among each country’s security force to reduce Boko Haram’s operational space and safe havens.
Daily Times.
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