Boko Haram Resurgence In Far North: Military Vows Brutal Response

Boko Haram fighters who have masterminded deadly attackson some communities of the Far North in the last couple of days shall be met with merciless firepower from the Cameroonian military, the Military Central Command has vowed.

This resolve was made during a high-level security meeting which took place in Maroua Thursday and chaired by the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence, Joseph Beti Assomo.

The meeting was the highpoint of a two-day visit which the Defence boss made to the Region to take stock of the recent worrying situation in that part of the country as Boko Haram fighters have increasingly been changing tactics and inflicting mayhem on the local population.

Just before the visit, the insurgents launched deadly attacks in the localities of Sagmé and Zigue in Fotokol and Waza Sub divisions within a time span of just three days, leaving 13 soldiers and one civilian dead, with many others badly wounded.

Speaking to reporters after the about three-hour in-camera meeting with top military officials of the fourth Joint Military Region as well as commanders of specialised military operations in the Far North, Beti Assomo remarked that Boko Haram appears to be changing its tactic, and so the military too will react appropriately.

Beti Assomo said the meeting was an avenue for them to think new operational strategies in order to vociferously push back the armed men into their hideouts, if not completely neutralise them.

“Following the analysis we have made, Boko Haram is presenting a new face, and we have studied the characteristics of this face. So, we can say, without getting into details, that the war against Boko Haram is going to take a new dimension henceforth,” Beti Assomo vowed.

“What happened these last few days will not remain without consequences and appropriate reaction from the Cameroonian military. I would rather ask you all to watch out for our actions on the field in the very nearest future. The population of the Far North is also called upon to make their contribution to this new phase of the war against Boko Haram by collaborating with defence and security forces,” he added.

Before the meeting, the Defence Minister made a stop to the hospital where the many soldiers who were wounded in the recent Boko Haram attacks were receivingtreatment.

The Defence Minister extended to the soldiers the condolences of their Commander-in-Chief and President of the Republic Paul Biya. He also assured them of the total support of the military in taking care of their wellbeing, no matter the price it takes to pay.

Context Of The Visit

Defence Minister Delegate Joseph Beti Assomo’s visit to the Far North came on the heels of two deadly attacks launched by Boko Haram fighters in two localities of the Region.

The first of the attacks happened in the early hours of Saturday July 24 when heavily armed Boko Haram fighters, on board motorbikes, attacked a military post in the locality of Sagmé in Fotokol Sub Division.

The heavy gunfire exchange that ensued left eight Cameroonian soldiers dead, 13 others sustained varying degrees of injury while many of the assailants were neutralised and their bodies taken away by their peers as they retreated, a Defence Ministry statement issued on July 25 stated.

The second attack happened just under 48 hours after, in the night of Monday July 26 to Tuesday July 27, when armed men attacked a command post of the Multinational Joint Task Force in the locality of Zigue in Waza Sub Division. The incident left five soldiers dead and three others badly wounded. One civilian was also killed and another injured.

Boko Haram launched some of its early attacks in Cameroon in 2013 and since then, the Cameroonian military has been mobilised to counter the insurgents. Cameroon is also part of a regional Multinational Joint Task Force which also has troops from Nigeria, Niger and Chad fighting the jihadists in the Lake Chad Basin area.