MNJTF, G5 Sahel Commanders Meet over Boko Haram, ISWAP

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

Commanders of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and the Group of five Sahel countries (G5  Sahel) met weekend in Chad to adopt a common approach against terrorist groups, Boko Haram and the Islamic State for West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Commander of Group of 5 Sahel countries, Brigadier General Oumarou Namata Gazama, met with his MNJTF counterpart in N’Djamena, Chad.

The meeting was held to adopt strategies against the terrorist groups in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin.

In his remarks, Brigadier General Gazama stated that the G5 Sahel and the MNJTF both have coordinate responsibilities of eliminating the threats of terrorism and insurgency in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, respectively.

He noted that visiting the MNJTF would give him and members of his team the opportunity to understand the modus operandi of the MNJTF. He noted that the experience garnered would come in handy in overcoming some of the challenges that G5 Sahel is currently dealing with.  He thanked the Force Commander MNJTF for receiving him despite the short notice.

Speaking earlier, Force Commander (MNJTF), Major General Ibrahim Yusuf, thanked Brigadier General Gazama for creating time to visit the MNJTF, noting that the visit was auspicious and significant, considering that it was  his second month in office.

He added that the visit would create opportunity for both commanders to share experiences which will facilitate better appreciation of the operational environment.

 The Force Commander acknowledged the similarities in the responsibilities of the two forces and stated that there was an urgent need for synergy and collaboration, a statement issued last night by the Spokesman of MNJTF, Col Timothy Antigha, said.

Present during the visit were the MNJTF Deputy Force Commander, Brigadier General Nouma Mellingui, the Chief of Staff, Colonel Tom Djery and Chiefs of Cells, among others.

The G5 Sahel is a sub-regional peace and security framework created in 2017 by Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, Mali and Mauritania to deal with insurgency in the Sahel region.