Punch Newspapers
Sections
Published 17 December 2020
The Boko Haram war after 11 years of fighting has claimed 400,000 to 50,000 lives and left Nigeria in a devastated state. The insurgency may last for another 20 years, says the army chief, which is true. Insurgents rely on their resilience to fight long-drawn wars, weaken and tire an army before destroying it.
Nigeria is not just fighting Boko Haram, but also their powerful backers viz: (Al-Qaida, ISIS, LIFG(Libya Islamic Fighting Group) Khalifa Army, ISWA. Boko Haram is now carrying out mop-up operations by attacking civilians and taking hostages at will.
But, for how long will these continue? Is there any hope for peace at all, and when will life return back to normal in Nigeria? When a war is fought interminably, without any hope of ending it, either through negotiations or ongoing talks for peace, the best of armies become demoralised. There must a plan to end this war through dialogue. The chances of a military victory