The Ivorian President, Alassane Ouattara has said that Nigeria is planning to withdraw some its 1,200 soldiers from the UN peacekeeping force in Mali to combat Islamist threat from Boko Haram.
Mr. Ouattara, who is the current head of the regional group, the Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS made the pronouncement at the 43rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in Abuja-Nigeria.
The Nigerians troops are part of a force of 12,600 African troops under UN-mandate who took over from a French-led mission on 1 July this year.
“The withdrawal was because of the domestic situation in Nigeria, they are not withdrawing everyone, a good part of the troops are going to be there,” president Ouattara said.
An anonymous Nigerian Diplomat also told reporters that: “It seems Nigeria is pulling out its infantry but leaving some other elements and I think that it is because the troops are needed at home”.
A Nigerian military source and two other diplomats in West Africa also confirmed the planned pullout, saying it was mainly due to the need to beef home security from insurgencies from Boko Haram in the country.
But it is not clear how many troops will be called home but another diplomat said engineers and signals operators would be the ones who would be left behind with the United Nations in Mali.
Nigeria is battling Islamist terror group Boko Haram but the move comes just 10 days before Mali’s presidential election which is schedule on the 31st of July.
Mali’s elections is intended to end months of political crisis that started when soldiers by captain Amadou Sanogo overthrew President Amadou Toumani Toure on March 2012, allowing separatist rebels and Islamist militants to seize the north of the country .
President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in 3 northern states on May 14, and deployed thousands of troops to halt the insurgency, acknowledging that militants had taken control of some towns and villages in the north.
The Nigerian forces have been on offensive to flush Boko Haram out of its northern strongholds with army saying it has gained massive grounds against Boko Haram.
But with this call of troops from Mali, it is relative difficult to believe the claim of the Nigerian army success story against Boko Haram.
The UK has outlawed Boko Haram under its anti-terror laws, with support for the group now considered a criminal offence in the United Kingdom.
President Goodluck Jonathan had wanted to grant an amnesty to Boko Haram by setting up a committee to look into the affairs on how a peaceful dialogue can be achieved but the group refused to lay down their arms compelling the President to resort to military action against them.
Boko Haram is believed to have carried out a wave of bombings and assassinations since 2009, saying it wants to establish an Islamic state across Nigeria.
Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News
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