Boko Haram: Regional responsibility?

Nigeria’s neighbours are banding together to fight the armed group Boko Haram.

A regional alliance is reported to have lost patience with Nigeria, and has opted to press ahead on its own.

Chad will head up a three nation force, to include Cameroon and Niger.

The joint response has taken on an added urgency after Boko Haram overran the northeastern town of Baga on January 3.

Amnesty International says 3,700 buildings were destroyed and as many as 2,000 people massacred.

Dozens of Chadian tanks are heading to Cameroon.

Chadian President Idriss Deby said he stands side by side with his neighbour, which has faced repeated attacks by Boko Haram.

“We cannot be indifferent,” Deby said, “to what is going on because we are directly concerned and because we believe Cameroon must not be alone as it faces Boko Haram.

“I have also called on the whole African continent, to join us and form a wide coalition to face Boko Haram.”

So can Nigeria’s neighbours help resolve the conflict with Boko Haram?

Are there regional agendas at play?

And does the solution lie in military defeat?

Presenter: Shiulie Ghosh

Guests:

Musiliu Obanikoro – former Minister of Defence for Nigeria.

Aliyu Musa – a researcher on war and conflict and a specialist on Boko Haram

Nii Akuetteh – an Africa policy analyst and researcher, and former executive director of the human rights group, Africa Action.