Towards ending terrorism in Nigeria

An announcement by the Centre for Crisis Communication (CRC) that members of the terrorist Boko Harm group have contacted the centre indicating interest in negotiating with the federal government is a welcome development. The terror group, according to the Center, has asked for “genuine and comprehensive dialogue” that should bring to an end its deadly […]

An announcement by the Centre for Crisis Communication (CRC) that members of the terrorist Boko Harm group have contacted the centre indicating interest in negotiating with the federal government is a welcome development. The terror group, according to the Center, has asked for “genuine and comprehensive dialogue” that should bring to an end its deadly activities that have continued for over half a decade now.
Although it is difficult to propose amnesty to a group that has killed thousands of innocent civilians and security agents across the north, the potential that this holds for possible peace and tranquillity is not one that should dismissed in a hurry. The idea of negotiating with Boko Harm is also a hard sell considering other failed attempts by the federal government to discuss possible disarmament and bring the campaign of terror to an end.
Like the Executive Secretary of the CCC, Air Commodore Yusuf Anas (rtd.) noted in his speech to journalists last week, it has become imperative to consider the option of negotiating with the group because military option against the group has failed to bring its activities to an end.  Although there is a renewed and more genuine effort from the new government at the centre to deal decisively with the terrorists, the possibility of having a shorter route to achieving this objective is something that should considered. This is because even with a more dedicated effort by the security forces now to crush the group, the unconventional approach that Boko Harm continues to use will surely make the war against them a tough one. In the process, millions, if not billions of dollars would be expended while many more civilians and members of the security forces will fall.
This then means that it may be in the national interest for the federal government to consider – with great caution though – the olive branch that these terrorists have extended. Already, President Muhammadu Buhari has indicated the willingness of his administration to still consider negotiating with the group, should they ask for genuine talks between both parties. When the BBC asked the president during an interview in July whether his administration will consider negotiating with the terrorists, he did not mince words to show his willingness to consider the option: “If they are willing, why not? You know attempts have been made in the past and it didn’t work. Every reasonable person would want to see the end to this insurgency. So if they are willing, why not? You can’t rule that out.”
With less than ten weeks into the life of the current administration, it has become abundantly clear that President Buhari is committed to ending the insurgency in the north-eastern part of the country. The first two weeks of the administration were primarily dedicated to tackling Boko Haram. The president visited the Republics of Chad and Niger and also invited their leaders, who then visited him a week after. New service chiefs have also swung into action and funds have been released to support the war against the Abubakar Shekau-led group.
The question now is: should the government negotiate or not? Any right thinking person would like to explore the possibility of ending this violence, hence the calls from various quarters that negotiations should not be ruled out. Before the government goes to the negotiation table, however, it is important to study the nature, history and dimensions of this group and its activities over the years. At least two major attempts have been made by the government to negotiate with the group. Both attempts failed. These too should be studied carefully. Why did they fail? The first attempt failed because of perceived lack of sincerity on the part of the government.  In March 2012, Dr. Ibrahim Datti Ahmed, the president of the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN) said his group was concerned about the havoc that had been caused by terrorists in Nigeria and so he and a few colleagues reached out to Boko Harm through a journalist that had maintained professional contact with the group. Dr. Ahmed’s group also reach out to the federal government and was asked to liaise with a senior government official on the matter. However, when details of the negotiations began to appear on the pages of newspapers, Dr. Ahmed lost confidence in President Goodluck Jonathan administration’s sincerity in the matter. He and his colleagues pulled out of the discussion immediately and it collapsed.
Last year, another attempt was made by the federal government to negotiate with Boko Haram. Chadian President Idriss Deby who was initially meant to facilitate the negotiations later advised Goodluck Jonathan against such a move warning that the terrorists were not sincere. The then Nigerian President however failed to heed to Deby’s advice. Elections were fast approaching so Jonathan and his men were desperate to score a big point. They went ahead with the negotiation which also failed and became a national scandal.
While we as citizens of this country welcome a new attempt at negotiation on this matter, these past lessons suggest that government must be very cautious. A lot of intelligence work must be done by the security agencies to ensure that Boko Haram leaders that will be talking to the government are genuine and sincere. Government must make the release of Chibok girls in custody a key part of the deal. If some of the girls have been sold off, the negotiators must get sufficient information that will lead to locating and rescuing the girls.
As we move towards another crossroad in the war against terror, the federal government should take a bold step forward, with caution, and seize this opportunity to secure and stabilize our country.
Bashir wrote from Gwarimpa, Abuja.