Operation Boma's Wrath

Last updated
Operation Boma's Wrath
Part of the Boko Haram insurgency
Les forces armees tchadiennes, a N'Djamena, le 13 avril 2020.jpg
Chadian troops return to N'Djamena on 13 April 2020 after the end of Operation Boma's Wrath
Date31 March 2020 – 9 April 2020
Location
Chad

Nigeria

Niger

Result Chadian victory
Belligerents
Flag of Chad.svg  Chad
Flag of Niger.svg  Niger
Parts of Multinational Joint Task Force 		Flag of Jihad.svg Boko Haram
Commanders and leaders
Flag of Chad.svg Idriss Deby Flag of Jihad.svg Abubakar Shekau
Strength
Unknown Unknown
Casualties and losses
52 killed
192 wounded		 ~ 1,000 killed
58 arrested
50 motorized boats destroyed
At least 20,000 people displaced

Operation Boma's Wrath was a military operation launched by Chad against Boko Haram. [1] Operation was launched on March 31, 2020, one week after Boko Haram's attack on Chadian military base in which 92 Chadian soldiers were killed. [2] Aim of the operation was to destroy hidden jihadist bases and repulse their forces out of Chad. Operation lasted 10 days and according to Chadian military it resulted in roughly 1000 insurgents killed, their bases in Chad destroyed, and capture of arms caches previously taken from Chad. [3]

Contents

Background

On March 23, 2020 Boko Haram attacked Chadian military base on an island in Lake Chad. Chadian troops were attacked 5 AM and they fought against the insurgents until 12 PM when the insurgents left by speedboats. During the attack 92 Chadian soldiers were killed, 24 army vehicles destroyed, and weapons belonging to Chadian military were stolen. [4] [2] [5] President of Chad, Idriss Deby traveled to the military base a day after the attack, he said that Chadian military has never lost so many men in one attack. [6] Three days of national mourning for fallen soldiers were declared. [3]

Timeline

27 March 2020 – Fouli and Kaya departments of Lac region were declared a war zone and state of emergency came into effect in same departments. Several civilian communities fled the region. [7]

31 March 2020 – Operation begun and Chad deployed forces to neighboring countries Niger and Nigeria, President of Chad, Idriss Deby confirmed that his country has an agreement with Niger and Nigeria. [8]

1 April 2020 – First fighting occurred. Video of Chadian soldiers singing morale-rising victory songs, as well as video of Chadian soldiers beating unconscious bodies of terrorists to death were obtained and released by PR Nigeria. [9] [10]

2 April 2020 – Prefect of Fouli department announced that 20,000 people have been displaced from the areas of military operation, since the beginning of the operation. [11]

3 April 2020 – Chadian military announced that in first 48 hours of operation, 76 jihadists have been killed while 7 Chadian soldiers lost their lives. Abubakar Shekau, leader of Boko Haram called for resistance by his troops in audio tape which was released. [12]

4 April 2020 – President of Chad, Idriss Deby announced that all islands on the Lake Chad were cleared of terrorist presence, he applauded the work of defense forces of his country. [13]

5 April 2020 – President of Chad, Idriss Deby announced that Chadian forces destroyed five Boko Haram bases, he also announced that Chadian territory has been cleared of terrorists. [14] Several wounded Chadian soldiers were transferred to the hospital in N'Djamena. [15]

6 April 2020 – Chadian soldiers fought Boko Haram in Magumeri in Nigeria, they allegedly freed Nigerian soldiers held captive. Some Nigerians on social media praised Idriss Deby for his efforts against jihadists, while some others have strongly condemned his decision to lead his troops to Nigerian soil. Idriss Deby told leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau "to surrender or die". [16] Chadian government spokesman confirmed that Chadian territory has been completely cleared of terrorist presence. [17]

7 April 2020 – Abubakar Shekau responded to Idriss Deby saying that Boko Haram will go after him, Abubakar also said that despite the setback inflicted on his group by Chadian army they will continue to fight. [18]

9 April 2020 – Chadian army announced that around 1000 Boko Haram fighters have been killed and that 50 of their motorized boats have been destroyed, while 52 Chadian soldiers were killed and 192 wounded. Military spokesman also said that Chadian soldiers have been deployed on the Lake Chad banks of Niger and Nigeria and that they will remain there until forces of these two countries arrive. [19] [20]

Aftermath

On 19 April 2020 44 out of 58 arrested suspected Boko Haram terrorists died of poisoning in prison in Chad. Pathologist's report revealed that a lethal substance was found in bodies of dead prisoners. [21]

Despite the success of the operation Boko Haram attacks in Chad still continue, killing both military personnel and civilians. [22] [23] [24]

Related Research Articles

The Chad National Army consists of the five Defence and Security Forces listed in Article 185 of the Chadian Constitution that came into effect on 4 May 2018. These are the National Army, the National Police, the National and Nomadic Guard (GNNT) and the Judicial Police.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idriss Déby</span> 6th President of Chad from 1990 to 2021

Idriss Déby Itno was a Chadian politician and military officer who was the 6th president of Chad from 1991 until his death in 2021 during the Northern Chad offensive. His term of office of more than 30 years makes him Chad's longest-serving president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boko Haram</span> Central-West African jihadist terrorist organization

Boko Haram, officially known as Jamā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād, is an Islamist terrorist jihadist organization based in northeastern Nigeria, which is also active in Chad, Niger, northern Cameroon, and Mali. In 2016, the group split, resulting in the emergence of a hostile faction known as the Islamic State's West Africa Province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boko Haram insurgency</span> Terrorism in Sub-Saharan Africa

The Boko Haram insurgency began in July 2009, when the militant Islamist and jihadist rebel group Boko Haram started an armed rebellion against the government of Nigeria. The conflict is taking place within the context of long-standing issues of religious violence between Nigeria's Muslim and Christian communities, and the insurgents' ultimate aim is to establish an Islamic state in the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abubakar Shekau</span> Nigerian militant and former leader of Boko Haram

Abu Mohammed Abubakar al-Sheikawi was a Nigerian militant who was the leader of Boko Haram, an Islamist extremist organization based in northeastern Nigeria, from 2009 to 2021. He served as deputy leader to the group's founder, Mohammed Yusuf, until Yusuf's execution in 2009.

Timeline of the Boko Haram insurgency is the chronology of the Boko Haram insurgency, an ongoing armed conflict between Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram and the Nigerian government. Boko Haram have carried out many attacks against the military, police and civilians since 2009, mostly in Nigeria. The low-intensity conflict is centred on Borno State. It peaked in the mid-2010s, when Boko Haram extended their insurgency into Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multinational Joint Task Force</span> Military unit

The Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) is a combined multinational formation, comprising units, mostly military, from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria. It is headquartered in N'Djamena and is mandated to bring an end to the Boko Haram insurgency.

The following lists events that happened during 2015 in Chad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic State – West Africa Province</span> Militant group and branch of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

The Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP), officially Wilāyat Garb Ifrīqīyā, meaning "West African Province", is a militant group and administrative division of the Islamic State (IS), a Salafi jihadist militant group and unrecognised quasi-state. ISWAP is primarily active in the Chad Basin, and fights an extensive insurgency against the states of Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Turkey. It is an offshoot of Boko Haram with which it has a violent rivalry; Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau killed himself in battle with ISWAP in 2021. Until March 2022, ISWAP acted as an umbrella organization for all IS factions in West Africa including the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (IS-GS), although the actual ties between ISWAP and IS-GS were limited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 West African offensive</span> Coalition offensive against Boko Haram

Starting in late January 2015, a coalition of West African troops launched an offensive against the Boko Haram insurgents in Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chad Basin campaign (2018–2020)</span> Series of battles and offensives in the Chad Basin

The Chad Basin campaign of 2018–2020 was a series of battles and offensives in the southern Chad Basin, particularly northeastern Nigeria, which took place amid the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency. The Chad Basin witnessed an upsurge of insurgent activity from early November 2018, as rebels belonging to the Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram launched offensives and several raids to regain military strength and seize territory in a renewed attempt to establish an Islamic state in the region. These attacks, especially those by ISWAP, met with considerable success and resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians. The member states of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF), namely Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon responded to the increased insurgent activity with counter-offensives. These operations repulsed the rebels in many areas but failed to fully contain the insurgency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jihadist insurgency in Niger</span> Civil conflict in Niger

Since 2015, the border area between Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger has been a hotbed for jihadist forces originating from Mali. The insurgency has taken place in two distinct regions of Niger. In southwest, the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara and the Nusrat al-Islam have carried out attacks in the tri-border area with Burkina Faso and Mali. Meanwhile, in the southeast, the Islamic State in the West African Province has established control in parts of southern Niger.

Battle of Damasak took place on the 18 March 2015 when Nigerien and Chadian armies attacked Boko Haram the Nigerian town of Damasak. Boko Haram was pushed out of the town after less than a day of heavy fighting. Damasak was captured on the 24th of November 2014 by Boko Haram and was under their control until this battle. By the time the town was recaptured it had been mostly deserted..The civilians who remained were too old or too sick to leave. After the battle Chadian soldiers set up camps outside of the town and two Chadian helicopters arrived with supplies.

In May 2021, the Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP) launched an invasion of the Sambisa Forest in Borno State, Nigeria, which was serving as the main base of Boko Haram, a rival jihadist rebel group. Following heavy fighting, ISWAP overran the Boko Haram troops, cornering their leader Abubakar Shekau. The two sides entered negotiations about Boko Haram's surrender during which Shekau committed suicide, possibly detonating himself with a suicide vest. Shekau's death was regarded as a major event by outside observers, as he had been one of the main driving forces in the Islamist insurgency in Nigeria and neighboring countries since 2009.

Bakura Doro, also known by his pseudonym Abu Umaimata or Abu Umayma, is a Nigerian militant who is the current leader or "imam" of Boko Haram, an Islamist militant group involved in an insurgency against Nigeria and other states.

Between December 30, 2022 and January 7, 2023, Boko Haram launched a series of raids against Islamic State – West Africa Province on various islands on Lake Chad, with major battles occurring on Toumbun Allura Karnawa and Toumbun Gini.

On September 2, 2020, jihadists from Islamic State – West Africa Province (ISWAP) ambushed Nigerian soldiers near the village of Garin Giwa, Kukawa, Borno State, Nigeria.

On July 24, 2021, jihadists from Islamic State – West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacked a Cameroonian outpost in Sagme, Cameroon, sparking a battle that killed eight Cameroonian soldiers and twenty jihadists.

On August 5, 2021, jihadists from Boko Haram killed twenty-six Chadian soldiers near the village of Tchoukoutalia on the shore of Lake Chad.

References

  1. ↑ "Chad launches 'massive' joint operation against jihadists". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  2. 1 2 "Boko Haram kills almost 100 soldiers in seven-hour attack in Chad". France 24. 2020-03-25. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  3. 1 2 "Chad and the Escalating Fight against Boko Haram – Africa Center". Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  4. ↑ "92 Chad soldiers killed in 'deadliest' Boko Haram attack". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  5. ↑ AFP (2020-03-24). "Boko Haram kills 92 Chadian soldiers in seven-hour attack". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  6. ↑ "Boko Haram kills troops in 'deadliest' Chad raid". BBC News. 2020-03-25. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  7. ↑ "Fears for civilians in Chad after army suffers devastating Boko Haram attack". the Guardian. 2020-04-01. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  8. ↑ Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "Chad despliega soldados en Níger y Nigeria contra Boko Haram | DW | 31.03.2020". DW.COM (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  9. ↑ "Chadian Army Kills Boko Haram Terrorists In Retaliation For Soldiers' Ambush". Sahara Reporters. 2020-04-01. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  10. ↑ "VIDEO: Chadian troops batter Boko Haram terrorists, Shekau consoles fighters". 2020-04-01. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  11. ↑ "Chad Situation Report, 2 April 2020 - Chad". ReliefWeb. 2 April 2020. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  12. ↑ Naranjo, José (2020-04-03). "Ofensiva militar para desalojar a Boko Haram del lago Chad". EL PAÍS (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  13. ↑ "El presidente de Chad asegura que el Ejército ha expulsado a Boko Haram de todas las islas del lago Chad". Europa Press. 2020-04-04. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  14. ↑ Fenwick, Fiona (2020-04-05). "Escalating Violence In Chad Threatens Displaced Populations". The Organization for World Peace. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  15. ↑ Alwihda, Info. "Tchad : plusieurs soldats blessés dans les affrontements contre Boko Haram". Alwihda Info - Actualités TCHAD, Afrique, International (in French). Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  16. ↑ "Boko Haram: Surrender or die, Chad's President dares Shekau". Latest Nigeria News, Nigerian Newspapers, Politics. 2020-04-06. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  17. ↑ "Les autorités tchadiennes disent avoir éradiqué Boko Haram de leur territoire". VOA (in French). 7 April 2020. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  18. ↑ Akinola, Wale (2020-04-07). "Boko Haram: We are coming after you - Shekau replies Chadian president Déby". Legit.ng - Nigeria news. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  19. ↑ "Chad's army says 52 soldiers, 1,000 Boko Haram fighters killed in operation". Reuters. 2020-04-09. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  20. ↑ "Chadian troops 'kill 1,000 Boko Haram fighters' in Lake Chad". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  21. ↑ "Boko Haram suspects 'die of poison' in Chad jail". BBC News. 2020-04-19. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  22. ↑ "The Challenge of Boko Haram Defectors in Chad". War on the Rocks. 2020-05-06. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  23. ↑ Nako, Madjiasra (2020-11-25). "Suspected Boko Haram attack kills four Chadian soldiers". Reuters. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  24. ↑ Afp (2020-08-01). "Ten civilians killed in Boko Haram attack in Chad: army officer". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2021-01-13.
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