The Senate yesterday approved the deployment of 1,200 soldiers to Mali for peace keeping operations.
The approval was sequel to the request by President Goodluck Jonathan for the troops to join the Africanled force, AFISMA, to participate in limited combat duties in Mali.
The action of the Senate was in keeping with Section 4(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which requires the President to seek the consent of the Senate before the deployment of Nigerian troops for any foreign operation.
In his “Notification to the Senate on the deployment of members of the armed forces on a limited combat duty in Mali and request for consent,” the President explained that the deployment of Nigerian troops was in line with the Security Council resolution 2085(2012) and the need to combat armed and terrorist groups, including Al-Qaida in the Islamic Magreb (AQIM) and their activities.
President Jonathan also based the request on the proliferation of weapons from within and outside the region with grave consequences on the security and stability in the northern parts of Mali and beyond, including Nigeria.
He added that Nigeria was currently facing some security challenges and given her proximity to the Sahel region, the crisis in Mali, if not brought under control, might spill over to Nigeria and other West African countries with negative consequences on collective security, political stability and development efforts.
He stated that as a responsible member of the international community and given our recent experiences with insurgency and terrorist activities especially in the northern parts of the country, he felt compelled to urgently approve the deployment of Nigerian troops.
After the Senate President David Mark read the letter from Jonathan, the Senate went into a closed door session to discuss the request. About 45 minutes later when the Senate reconvened, and after Mark had reported progress of what took place during the executive session, the Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma- Egba, moved a motion that the Senate should continue deliberation on the request.
In his contribution, the Deputy Senate Leader, Abdul Ningi, supported the president’s request.
He commended the president for conforming to constitutionality by seeking the approval of the Senate on the matter and also for demonstrating leadership.
The lawmaker noted that the nation’s foreign policy over the years has been Africa-centered because “whatever happens to any black man anywhere will definitely affect Nigeria.”
“When we see danger signal coming from any part of the Africa we get involved. It is in our national interest to get involved in what is going on in Mali” he added.
Senator Ndoma-Egba made the point that military regime was no longer fashionable because they do not solve the problems of the country and expressed regrets that in the past, Nigeria has not been able to appropriate the economic gains of its peace-keeping operations.
According to him, “When we deploy troops outside Nigeria, it is to pursue our foreign policy objectives but we must also at the same time tie our economic interest behind our foreign policy as is done by other advanced countries of the world.” He said that the proposed deployment should offer Nigeria the opportunity to redefine its foreign policy.
Senator Magnus Abe in his contribution while supporting the request stated that it was almost coming very late.
According to him, Nigeria should intervene in Mali without minding whether or not it has any economic gains. He said as Africans, “we should first be mindful of being our brothers’ keepers than putting economic gains first because what happens in that country would have ripple effect on Nigeria.”
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu observed that what is happening in Mali has much more security implications for Nigeria than France, which has been in the forefront of combating the crisis in that country, stressing that, “we need to take this war to their home, we need to save Mali from itself, we need to be our brothers’ keeper.”
Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika yesterday said top leaders of the dreaded Boko Haram Islamic sect have their training in Mali.
Ihejirika also warned the Army’s special troops being deployed to the country to guard against being disarmed by Islamic insurgents.
Addressing officers and men of the First Nigerian Army Battalion being sent to join the African-led International Peace Support Mission in Mali at Jaji, Gen. Ihejirika said the contribution of Nigeria in the restoration of peace in the crisis- ridden country would complement the efforts by the Federal Government in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency.
Ihejirika noted that the unrest in Mali has become a global concern as the African Union and international community are determined to enforce restoration of peace in the West African country.
He further expressed regret over Mali’s insurgency, which had affected the northern part of the country since March 2012 saying that if not put under control it might take over Bamako, the capital as well as spread to other neighbouring countries.
The Army chief charged the Nigerian troops to stick to the rules of their engagement with the tradition of being the giant of Africa, stressing that Federal Government had deployed the largest number of Special Forces to Mali.
He said: “As Chief of Army Staff, I charge you to be resolute, dedicated and disciplined as you deploy into Mali. You must remember that the rules of engagement are designed to guide you and not to restrict you.
The Nigeria Army will not entertain any circumstances that would lead to any of you being disarmed.
For the commanding officer and officers of NIBATT 1 AFISMA, you must show exemplary leadership in your operational area as you have always done.
“I am aware that you have completed the fourweek pre-deployment training at this centre which was designed to refresh, polish and add some knowledge and expertise in your various fields. I am also aware that deliberate efforts were made to refresh you in the handling of support weapons and others.
“This refresher training was to enable you protect yourself, your equipment and the loyal citizens of the host nation in your area of responsibility. I am optimistic that you would confront potential challenges and surmount all obstacles.”
Earlier, the Commandant, Jaji Training Centre, Maj. Gen. John Zaruwa, said the training was designed to suit the operational environment and expressed confidence that the battalion would live up to expectation.
Gen. Zaruwa while commending the deployed troops for their diligence and hard work during the training tasked them to sustain it in Mali.
In a related development, President Jonathan will depart Abuja today for Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire for an Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government ahead of the full deployment of the community’s troops to Mali.
According to a statement issued yesterday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the President would be accompanied to the meeting by the Minister of State for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada and the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim. The meeting is also expected to discuss the situation in Guinea-Bissau.
Jonathan is due back in Abuja tomorrow. The President had last Monday at a cocktail party for members of the Diplomatic Corps at the State House, Abuja disclosed that Nigeria would deploy troops to Mali to join forces with other countries to reclaim the country from Islamic terrorist group.
“We are presently confronted with a situation in Mali. Let me assure you and the global community that as a nation we will work with other nations to make sure that the problem in Mali is solved,” Jonathan had told the diplomats.
“We can no longer surrender any part of the globe to extremism, because it doesn’t pay and we don’t know the next victim.
“We must collectively discourage individuals or group of individuals that will take laws into their hands and make the world a place that is not safe for all of us,” he had insited.
Meanwhile, the U.S., Canada and the European Union have pledged their support to Nigeria and France for deploying troops to Mali.
This is contained in a statement by the spokesman in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ogbole Ode, in Abuja on Thursday.
The statement said that heads of mission from the four countries made the pledge when the Nigerian Foreign Minister, Ambassador Gbenga Ashiru, briefed them on the update of troop deployment under the auspices of the ECOWAS African-led International Support Mission in Mali, AFISMA.
They advised that the military strategy should also be pursued along with the political process, which should involve various parties in Mali.
The statement said that Ashiru informed the envoys that the crisis in Mali was an issue of deep concern not only to West Africa but to Africa, Europe and the rest of the world.
“It is against this backdrop that the military operations by the French to dislodge Islamic militants and to regain northern Mali deserved the unflinching support of the international community,” he was quoted as having said.
It noted the uncommon international unanimity and endorsement that had greeted the military intervention by France, arising from the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution No. 2085.
The statement also said the preparations already put in place and the active support of the international community and the military mission would meet its overall objectives.
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