Photo Credit: Marco Simoncelli, AP
Jihadi fighters from Africa’s Sahel region have crossed into northwestern Nigeria, settling in Kainji Lake National Park, according to a new report by the Clingendael Institute. These extremists, believed to be linked to al-Qaida, moved from Benin’s northern region over the past year. This development marks the latest movement of militants into wealthier West African coastal nations.
The report highlights that the fighters have established a presence in one of Nigeria’s largest national parks, which has been closed for over a year due to security threats from armed groups. John Yerima, a resident of New Bussa town near the park, described the situation: “Before, it was like a tourism center, but now, people find it difficult to pass through there. You cannot enter that road now. It is dangerous, seriously.”
Kars de Bruijne, a senior research fellow at the Clingendael Institute and co-author of the report, expressed concern over the situation. He said, “The security situation at the 5,300-square kilometer park and along the nearby border with Benin is getting out of hand and is much more explosive than we had anticipated.”
This sustained presence of jihadi groups in the park is the first sign of a link between Nigeria’s homegrown extremists, who have waged a decade-long insurgency, and al-Qaida-linked militants from the Sahel. “Their presence offers an opportunity for the extremists to claim large-scale success in both countries,” de Bruijne added.
The Sahel region is already a global hotspot for violent extremism, with worsening security crises exacerbated by military coups and deteriorating relationships with traditional security partners like France and the United States. These governments have turned to Russia for support as they struggle to contain the violence.
Northwest Nigeria has been flagged by security analysts as a potential expansion zone for jihadi groups due to its remote territories, rich mineral resources, and high poverty levels. These areas are largely government-absent, making them attractive for groups like al-Qaida and the Islamic State. The report notes, “A link between Lake Chad and the Sahel is a major opportunity for al-Qaida and the Islamic State to boast about their profiles as leaders of global jihad.”
Conservationists are also worried that the presence of armed groups in Kainji Lake National Park could further threaten the already dwindling lion population. Stella Egbe, senior conservation manager at the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, stated, “The security situation has become top of the list when it comes to the concerns about the lion populations in Nigeria.”
The Nigerian military frequently conducts aerial bombardments and deploys personnel to combat criminal hideouts in the northern region. However, they are often outnumbered and outgunned in these remote villages, and the root causes of the conflict, such as poverty, persist.
The Clingendael report raises questions about the motives of the Sahel extremists in the park and their potential relationship with other armed groups in the area. James Barnett, a fellow at the Hudson Institute whose work in northwestern Nigeria was cited in the report, suggested that the Sahelian jihadis might use northwestern Nigeria for fundraising, logistics, and influence. “The Sahelian jihadis potentially can try to use northwestern Nigeria as a place for fundraising, for logistics and to try to influence the jihadi groups there as part of their own competition,” Barnett said.
In many villages in Nigeria’s northwest, banditry remains the major security threat. Although bandits and jihadi fighters have occasionally collaborated, such alliances are rare and often lead to very deadly consequences.
Photo Credit: Marco Simoncelli, AP
https://www.clingendael.org/pub/2024/dangerous-liaisons/