By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Leaders of thought from northern Nigeria have warned against permitting the relocation of United States and the French military bases from the Sahel to Nigeria, saying it would threaten the country’s internal security.
The American and French governments have allegedly been aggressively lobbying Nigeria, along with other Gulf of Guinea countries, to sign new defence pacts that would allow them to redeploy their troops, expelled from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, the leaders alleged in an open letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu and the parliamentarians.
Those who signed the letter include Professor Abubakar Siddique Mohammed of the Centre for Democratic Development, Research and Training (CEDDERT), Zaria; Professor Kabiru Sulaiman Chafe, a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, representing the Arewa Research and Development Project (ARDP), Kaduna and Professor Attahiru Muhammadu Jega, who is a former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Others are, Professor Jibrin Ibrahim from the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Abuja; Auwal Musa (Rafsanjani) of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) Abuja; and Y. Z. Ya’u from the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Kano.
Nigeria, being the most strategically located among the Gulf of Guinea countries, may succumb to this pressure, thereby jeopardising its defence and internal security, they expressed in the letter.
“The recent expulsion of French and American troops from Niger due to their perceived ineffective presence raises questions about the efficacy of hosting foreign military bases”, said the signatories.
According to them, the primary goal of these military bases, ostensibly to combat terrorism in the Sahel, has not been achieved. They say terrorism has only escalated since the establishment of the camps.
“It is important to clearly state that there are only dangers and no gains from such military operations.
“The American operations in Niger Republic, for example, were ostensibly to pre-empt and uproot terrorists from the Sahel region. The result has so far been quite unimpressive, if not a complete failure.
“It is apparent that the presence of American troops and other intelligence personnel in Niger Republic is not serving any useful purpose. This is for the simple reason that terrorism, far from abating, has risen dramatically since the US began its operations in the region,” they said.
They also cautioned against compromising Nigeria’s sovereignty and independence for short-term strategic alliances that may have dire long-term consequences, insisting that hosting foreign troops often leads to increased prices and living costs in local areas, disproportionately affecting the lower-income population.
“Environmentally, the construction and operation of military bases can lead to significant degradation of the local environment. This includes deforestation, soil erosion, water contamination, and loss of biodiversity, which are detrimental to agricultural communities and indigenous populations. The long-term environmental damage could further hinder economic opportunities and sustainable development,” they said.
Heritage Times reports that Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are some West African countries that have expelled French troops in recent times, accusing them of aiding insecurity.
In December, last French troops deployed in Niger to help fight a decade-old Islamist insurgency in the Sahel left the country, sealing a withdrawal that has dealt a further blow to France’s influence in West Africa.
Army officers who seized power in Niger in July made France’s military exit one of their key demands.
In January, Burkina Faso gave France one month to withdraw its troops as it ended a military accord that allowed French troops to fight insurgents on its territory, citing a wish for the country to defend itself.
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