Crisis group cautions against Boko Haram defeat celebrations

A new report from the International Crisis Group, an anti-conflict NGO, has warned that celebrating victory against Boko Haram might not be the best option for now.

“If the military action against Boko Haram is convincing today, countries of the Chad basin should not hastily conclude that they have succeeded,” the report states.

Countries involved in the fight have been advised to note that some militants have joined the sect for other reasons different from the ideology of Boko Haram.

The report however lauds the joint military action against the sect and indicates that this has helped in weakening the operational capacity of the terrorists who now rely on suicide bombings.

“Although weakened Boko Haram could still be very difficult to be wiped out,” it adds.

Nigeria will host a security summit on May 14 which will bring together various countries involved in the war.

The U.S, French and British governments are expected to attend the summit.

Boko Haram has been perpetrating violence since 2009 in the north east of Nigeria. Close to 20, 000 people have been killed in clashes.

The group has been finding it difficult to handle a joint offensive from regional forces and Nigerian authorities have been quick to hint out that the sect has been “technically” defeated.

The Nigerian army announced on Tuesday that several veterans of the group are following a “deradicalisation” programme in an undisclosed area.

AFP