An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 23 tacks against a number of soft targets, killing many civilians. In 2011 a vehicle- borne IED attack killed six people at the police station in Abuja. Eleven UN staff members and 12 civilians were killed and over 100 people were injured in the attack on the Abuja UN HQ. Attacks have increased in recent years, with politicians, religious leaders, security forces and civilians being targeted and Boko Haram has occupied large swathes of northern Nigeria where the Nigerian military are unable to expel them. Since the advent of democracy in Nigeria, the army budget has been reduced and recent investigations have revealed that the mili- tary are short of basic equipment, such as radios and armoured ve- hicles. Morale is low, with widespread corruption amongst its ranks. Government sources have stated that Boko Haram are better armed and better motivated than army personnel and that it is impossible to locate and destroy the insurgency. While operations against Boko Haram have gained some momen- tum in recent months, the insurgents have found sanctuary in the Sambisa Forest where they can launch mass attacks against poorly defended villages, looting, killing and burning properties in what appears to be a warning to local people not to collaborate with the security forces. In January 2015 Boko Haram launched an attack against the town of Baga. Protected by a multinational force comprising troops from Niger and Chad, the town was the last bastion in Borno State under the government's control. Insurgent forces advanced on the town from the north, south and west (the eastern flank was cut off by water). With the town surrounded, the multinational force fled leaving thousands of men, women and children to the wrath of the insurgents. As the troops fled, the insurgents torched the town, killing inhabitants with impunity. An estimated 2,000 people lost their lives, with thousands of refugees fleeing the area, seeking sanctuary further south. International condemnation has brought the insurgency and Nigeria's counterinsurgency campaign to the world stage. While many have suggested an increase in military operations supported by Western powers, others have claimed that a reduction of the region's poverty and the construction of an education system that gains the support of local Muslims is the only way that the situation can be resolved. Along with many schools in Nigeria the secondary school in Chibok, where the schoolgirls were abducted, had been shut down but the students were called in to sit their final exams. The insurgents, who entered the school under the guise of being guards, ordered the terrified students, aged from 16 to 18, to come with them. Reports state that the Nigerian military were aware of the planned attack but failed to send a security detail to secure the school, stating that their overextended forces were unable to mobilize reinforcements. While the abduction of the schoolgirls has prompted global out- rage and prompted a search operation supported by international forces, the Islamic extremists, along with their hostages, have evaded capture. A video taken by Boko Haram reveals the girls dressed in long headscarves and robes, clothing known to be associated with conser- vative Islamic dress codes. Several of the girls talk about their conver- sion from Christianity to Islam and reports received have identified that many have been taken ill from the conditions they are being held under and also due to the region being malarial. The Nigerian government has claimed that they have carried out negotiations with Boko Haram to get the schoolgirls released, but so far these do not appear to have borne fruit. Petitions submitted by the girls' families have pleaded with not only the Nigerian government but also with world powers to contact Boko Haram to negotiate the safe return of their children. A campaign entitled 'Bring Back Our Children' has brought worldwide support for the safe return of the girls. While some of the captives managed to escape, the families and relatives of those that remain still await news of their children, believing that the Nigerian gov- ernment did too little too late and left the girls to what many believe is a fate worse than death. Recent news sources claim that Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have accepted a pledge of allegiance from Boko Haram. © www.bbc.com Cameroon's Elite Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) meets with local tribesmen on the border with Nigeria. © Anthony Galloway/NBC News Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) troops carry the Israeli-made Galil assault rifle. Protestors march to highlight the #BRINGBACKOURGIRLS campaign started by Ramaa Mosley

• Cover