LETTER TO THE EDITOR



AFP’S SUPPORT FOR BOKO HARAM
By Karen Goulding


The Nigerian military is in a bind. It makes progress in its war on Boko Haram insurgents in the country’s northeast, only to see the progress relatively rolled back by forces that appear to have defied all efforts directed at making them relent and allow Nigeria to have peace. The effect of the sabotage by these forces is best reflected by the reported ambushes and surprise attacks on military convoys and outposts by Boko Haram terrorists, attacks that have all the markings of being plotted in territories outside the boundaries of Nigeria and organized by interests that increasingly show sophistication available only to state actors.

What makes the situation tough for the military is the mistake being collectively made by Nigerians, who have been conditioned to see everything about the insurgency from the prism of high politics. Certainly politics is involved, but not the local variant that citizens have in mind, the type being highlighted by armchair critics that are half informed about the true nature and import of what is truly happening in their country and to their people.

A more circumspect assessment of what is going on should have these critics take second looks at the scenario where Agence France-Presse (AFP) is always first with the news about the terrorists making gains against the military – and the fact that the high casualty figures it usually report on the military side are subsequently successfully disputed by authorities. AFP has also come to be the official outlet that Boko Haram uses to distribute its videos and audio recordings, which has conferred some measure of legitimacy on the group, a situation that has created the impression that Nigerian troops are fighting a rival country and not a bunch of bloodthirsty terrorists.

These AFP’s report often cite “military sources” to publish reports that can best be described as intended to terrorize the wider population. It is of note that AFP has never treated reporting of terrorism in this manner when dealing with western nations. When dealing with these countries, AFP tends to stick with positions that have been verified by persons authorized to speak on the matter – even where it used unanimous sources, it makes the efforts to get a corresponding official position and not a conflicting official position.

Knowing its French origin and nationality, it is no surprise that AFP has this belligerent approach towards Nigeria. After all, the hand of France in the Boko Haram scourge is well known and documented. The northeast of Nigeria and the swathe stretching from Northern Mali through Algeria to the Mediterranean Sea, looping back through Niger, Chad, Cameroun and Central Africa is a region for which France sees itself as being the imperial owner. Since Nigeria is not a francophone outpost, the French approach has been to support any form of insurrection in the northeast to allow the creation of a micro nation, possibly ruled by a despot, that will be a colony of France. It tried to pull such a trick with the failed bid to prop up Azawad as an independent country in Northern Mali – with disastrous consequences, of course.

Any enclave created by Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria and answering to France automatically gives the French access to the oil reserve in the Lake Chad Basin. While the reserve is not proven, advancement in mining technology, like fracking, makes it an attractive prospect, tempting enough for France to risk regional instability in Western Africa to secure. The possibility of mining Uranium in the region is icing on the cake at a time when alternative energy sources are an in thing. Hence the inordinate ambition of France to win a new country from Nigeria’s northeast to which AFP is pledged.

It is important not to lose sight of the reality that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have on several occasions reported seeing aircrafts of French origin airdropping supplies to Boko Haram terrorists during wee hours. Curiously, with the resources it has devoted to reporting that part of Nigeria, AFP has never deemed it fit to report on this unusual sightings in a way that will bring closure and reassure all as to the real mission of these aircrafts.

AFP, and France as the hands inside the glove, have never thought to interrogate the terrorists’ strategy of launching attacks into Nigeria from inside the trio of Niger, Chad and Cameroun, only to flee back into these same countries once Nigerians troops are hot on their trail. It seem crimes against humanity are okay so long as they are being committed against Nigeria and by entities loyal to France and its perverted interest in Nigeria.

It is interesting that AFP is not singing from a new hymn book. It is regurgitating a tired script, one written by France and the other sick entities in its unholy alliance. In the coming weeks, the “international NGOs” components will be drafted into the fray and they will allege that troops committed war crimes when they were chasing down the Boko Haram terrorists sent to snuff the life out of them. AFP will then latch onto the reports issued by these NGOs to chorus the refrains about crimes against humanity, a crime that Boko Haram terrorists are never capable of committing in the estimate of French AFP, and all the other voices that will join the charade.

The Nigerian military has to wake up to the reality that this is the war it is fighting. Boko Haram is merely a component, a facet of a monster that has too many tentacles. Even when troops roundly defeat terrorists in a particular battle, AFP can go ahead to tell the world otherwise and its account is the one to be believed by the public. Where the military is able to prove that it decimated insurgents, it is not unusual for the body count to be declared civilian casualty, “evidence of crimes against humanity”.

What is then needed is for the Nigerian military to expand the war beyond the physical battleground and clash with these entities on its own terms. It can begin by letting Nigerians and world know the magnitude of evil it is battling, which would then let people know how these vampires have recruited foreign fighters, some from the Islamic State (ISIS), to wage war against Nigeria. These are the people that AFP is fronting for and supporting with questionable, and sometimes outright false reporting.

Ask yourself who paid Boko haram over 30 million euros and released over 800 of their best fighters back to them

Ask Buhari...

The people behind it we comment after my comment

The person that commented above is responsible

According to General Andrew Azazi.....a political party with an umbrella as logo is responsible

An attack on Boko Haram is anti-north.... buhari

SarkinYarki:
Ask yourself who paid Boko haram over 30 million euros and released over 800 of their best fighters back to them

Boko haram started under pdp in 2009

quickberry:


Boko haram started under pdp in 2009

was Buhari not born then?

SarkinYarki:


was Buhari not born then?

General Andrew Azazi of blessed memory said PDP was responsible

thats a tough question

Those that see BOKO HARAM militant instead of TERRORIST are the people.

Also who ever that said that fighting them is fighting the norther can can know better.

Those that see BOKO HARAM as militant instead of TERRORIST are the people.

Also who ever that said that fighting them is fighting the norther can can know better.

The North leaders duh.

Since the Boko Haram started, you know how much money have gone into "fighting Boko Haram"? Where's all that money going to? Think about it

"Karen Goulding" does not exist. It is a hired pen using a fictitious name to launder the image of Buratai and the Nigerian Army.

This fictitious illusion does not have any verifiable educational, social and publication history. When you search for "Karen Goulding" publications, the only thing you see are Nigerian Army articles from 2015 written by this fictitious hired pen and sent to Nigerian newspapers.

You would think that a seeming counter terrorism expert from the UK would have some sort of scholarship or presence on the internet other than on the Nigerian Army. Hehehehehe.

Do not be a victim to propaganda and alternative facts.

Be guided accordingly.

This story originates from the presidency office. once I saw that you blame France for Boko Haram, then I knew it's mister blames speaking.

better go ask other neihboring countries....

i dont think nigerians are actualy responsible themselves....

timecapsule:
Those that see BOKO HARAM militant instead of TERRORIST are the people.

Also who ever that said that fighting them is fighting the norther can can know better.

wtf are you talkin about....??...boko haram is already declared a terrorits group....

just say you want us to declare all northerners terrorits group already....

all muslims are terrorits accordin to ipob....

The people behind it will be available on page 2 of this thread

timecapsule:
Those that see BOKO HARAM as militant instead of TERRORIST are the people.

Also who ever that said that fighting them is fighting the norther can can know better.

���

I can Reno Omokri and his foolishness above me

quickberry:


General Andrew Azazi of blessed memory said PDP was responsible

did the PDP murder the leader of boko haram sect and later bh took up arms?
did the PDP enlist shekarau to make allegiance to Isis and bombed the UN buildings.
did the PDP unilaterally ask the northern elders forum to frustrate the establishment of state of emergency.
did the PDP ask el rufai,president buhari,emir sanusi to make desparaging remarks against the Nigerian army claiming the attacks were anti Muslims
did the PDP leave cache of weapons in Libya which found its way into the north east
did the PDP ask Chad ,Niger ,Cameroun to fuel BH efforts against Nigeria

baralatie:

did the PDP murder the leader of boko haram sect and later bh took up arms?
did the PDP enlist shekarau to make allegiance to Isis and bombed the UN buildings.
did the PDP unilaterally ask the northern elders forum to frustrate the establishment of state of emergency.
did the PDP ask el rufai,president buhari,emir sanusi to make desparaging remarks against the Nigerian army claiming the attacks were anti Muslims
did the PDP leave cache of weapons in Libya which found its way into the north east
did the PDP ask Chad ,Niger ,Cameroun to fuel BH efforts against Nigeria

Yes to all your questions


Tell us how General Andrew Azazi died

quickberry:


Yes to all your questions


Tell us how General Andrew Azazi died

for you to say. that Nigeria through the us invasion went to abandon a large weapons in Libya means you need help

There are many groups

Extremist
Politicians
Herdsmen
State leaders/elders

baralatie:

for you to say. that Nigeria through the us invasion went to abandon a large weapons in Libya means you need help

What is this one saying?

You need to face your studies......kids everywhere

Years of injustice by the elites is the main culprit, It is not peculiar to the northeast alone but they got fed up and adopted their means of fighting their oppressors. Nigeria is a Federal Republic of Injustice.

quickberry:


What is this one saying?

You need to face your studies......kids everywhere

for you that is a full grown educated adult that read and believe that Nigeria through PDP dropped a cache of weapons in Libya to fund boko haram
guy you need help.

baralatie:

for you that is a full grown educated adult that read and believe that Nigeria through PDP dropped a cache of weapons in Libya to fund boko haram
guy you need help.

Your parents need help

quickberry:


Your parents need help

every parent in Borno,Adamawa,Yobe,Zamfara needs help in understanding how you propounded a theory that a whole Nigeria thru the PDP dropped weapons in Libya to fund boko haram!
shocking!

baralatie:

every parent in Borno,Adamawa,Yobe,Zamfara needs help in understanding how you propounded a theory that a whole Nigeria thru the PDP dropped weapons in Libya to fund boko haram!
shocking!

Show me where I typed that.....dumbo

quickberry:

Show me where I typed that.....dumbo

eyaaah!!