Morocco Supports Niger Militarily to Fight against Boko Haram

 

According to a Moroccan government official quoted by Le Monde, King Mohammed VI has authorized the provision of military equipment and supplies- except for lethal munitions- to Niger, in hope that giving military assistance to Morocco’s traditional ally will help to fight the recurrent incursions by Boko Haram in neighboring countries of Nigeria.

“Discussions are still underway to decide the exact nature of the military equipment and terms and delivery’s procedures to the [Nigerian] authorities.” The government’s official was quoted by Le Monde as saying.

The decision to support Niger came after King Mohammed VI formally requested to return to the African Union (AU) via a message to the AU summit in Rwanda two weeks ago.

This decision is regarded as an unprecedented initiative from Morocco to supply the military apparatus to help sub-Saharan countries to combat terrorism.

Last June, Boko Haram committed a bombing attack that killed at least 11 people in a mosque in Cameroon.

In the same month, Medicins Sans Frontieres reported that almost 200 Nigerian refugees who escaped from Boko Haram have died from starvation and malnutrition in the Bama refugee camp, Nigeria.

Boko Haram recently joined ISIS and now calls itself the “ISIS of West Africa” and claims that Western education is a sin.