Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd)
Nigeria is working to increase military cooperation with Benin and Niger as jihadists from the Sahel encroach on the country’s northwest, the Nigerian defence minister told AFP on Thursday.
Africa’s most populous country has been battling homegrown militants since 2009, in a conflict that has been reshaped recently by the growing presence of armed groups from the wider region.
The United States has launched strikes against Islamic State Sahel Province in northwest Nigeria, while analysts are also worried about the presence of the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM).
“We’re opening another sector to cover the border between Nigeria, Benin Republic and Niger,” retired general Christopher Musa told AFP in an interview at his office in the Nigerian capital, referring to a tri-country military collaboration.
