The United States of America has come up with an idea that there is no evidence that Boko Haram terrorist who has devastated Nigeria over the years has no link the Islamic State (Daesh) terror group.
Boko Haram had renamed itself Islamic State’s West African Province (Iswap) after pledging allegiance to IS in March 2015. The Nigerian group has since released statements restating the allegiance and, in July 2015, it released an Isis-style beheading video that bore all the hallmarks of propaganda videos routinely released by IS.
US officials, however, told Reuters that they believe the allegiance had merely been a branding exercise to boost the credibility of Boko Haram, whose insurgency in Nigeria and neighbouring countries is not related to IS’ war in Libya and the Middle East.
“If there is no meaningful connection between Isil and Boko Haram – and we haven’t found one so far – then there are no grounds for U.S. military involvement in West Africa other than assistance and training,” said one US official who spoke on conditions of anonymity.
“This is an African fight, and we can assist them, but it’s their fight.”
This contradicts a previous statement made by another US official, who warned in May 2015 that the link between the two groups was a cause for concern and could undermine peace and stability in West Africa.
Although the US has not sent any troops to assist the Nigerian army against Boko Haram, it sent 300 soldiers to Cameroon, which is also routinely targeted by the insurgents.
Boko Haram in Libya
Following the allegiance, intelligence experts have warned that Boko Haram members were travelling to Libya to join IS cells. In February 2016, the Nigeria’s State Security Service (DSS) announced that it had arrested university student Abdulssalam Enesi Yunusa on suspicion that he was planning to meet other militants at an IS terrorist training camp in Libya.
The DSS also said several terrorist attacks had been foiled while other cells affiliated with IS were found to operate in Nigeria.
In an interview with IBTimes UK, counter-terrorism expert David Otto claimed the international community was ignoring the dangers of Boko Haram-IS link. Otto claimed that every day Nigerian terrorists were leaving their country to travel to Libya and eventually Europe.
A ten-minute-long video released by Boko Haram ends with the decapitation of a man believed to have been part of the regional offensive YouTube screen grab
Nigeria is heading an ongoing regional offensive against Boko Haram. The task force consists of 8,700 troops from Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin. The group has scored some successes, such as the recapture of several territories and the release of thousands of civilians previously held captive. [myad]
