512
By Tracy Moses
The Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) has stated that only Nigerien authorities can confirm reports of the country’s withdrawal from the regional security force.
The MNJTF was established to create a safe and secure environment in areas affected by Boko Haram and other terrorist groups.
Nigeria, Chad, Niger, Cameroon, and Benin Republic are member countries of the task force.
According to a report by Reuters, Niger has pulled out of the MNJTF, which was set up to combat insurgency in the region.
The report, published on Sunday, stated that the Nigerien government disclosed this development in a bulletin aired on state television.
Reuters further reported that the decision was aimed at strengthening security around Niger’s oil assets.
“Niger has quit an international force fighting armed Islamist groups in West Africa’s Lake Chad region as it seeks to shore up security around oil assets at home.
The Multinational Joint Task Force, which also includes soldiers from Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon, has been working to stem the insurgency since 2015. However, progress has been hindered by division and poor coordination, allowing armed groups to thrive across the region’s sparsely populated scrublands.
The MNJTF has yet to comment on Niger’s withdrawal, and it is unclear how the decision will impact the mission’s future,” the report partly read.
Reuters also noted that Niger had not been fully participating in MNJTF operations since the military junta took power in 2023.
“Last year, Chad threatened to pull out of the MNJTF after about 40 soldiers were killed in an attack on a military base.
And Niger has become increasingly withdrawn since a military junta overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum in 2023. Along with Burkina Faso and Mali—neighboring states where juntas also seized power in recent years, it withdrew from the regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in 2024,” the report added.
Speaking exclusively with Pointblank News, MNJTF spokesperson Lt. Col. Olaniyi Osoba neither confirmed nor denied Niger’s withdrawal. He maintained that only Nigerien authorities could verify the report.
“It is only the Nigerien authorities that can confirm the story,” Osoba stated.
When asked if an official notification had been received, he said the MNJTF was still awaiting one.
“There are protocols and channels of communication between the MNJTF and the political authorities of troop-contributing countries. In this regard, we are waiting to receive a formal withdrawal notice,” he said.
This is not the first time reports have emerged about Niger’s withdrawal from the MNJTF.
In 2023, several reports claimed that Niger had pulled out of the task force following the sanctions imposed on the country by ECOWAS.
However, the MNJTF denied these reports, stating that Niger remained an essential member of the force.
In August 2024, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, visited Niger’s junta leader to discuss regional security cooperation and the need for collaborative efforts to combat insecurity.