Voice of America quotes Africa Center Director J. Peter Pham on reports that units within Nigeria’s army have been colluding with terrorist group Boko Haram:
Atlantic Council Africa Center Director Peter Pham said the soldier’s account could have merit. “It certainly would not surprise me that it is happening,” said Pham.
Pham said the goal should be to figure out how and why collaboration between military officers and terror groups could happen. “What’s critical is to understand, if there is this collusion, to understand whether it is a collusion born of corruption, born of desperation simply to avoid combat that would result in casualties for the men under your command, or if it is born of ideological sympathy with the insurgents,” he said.
Apart from some well-trained elite units, Pham said most of Nigeria’s military is “woefully underfunded and under-resourced” in terms of equipment and training.