THE African Union (AU) decision to send a multinational troop to Nigeria to combat the Boko Haram insurgency has generated mixed feelings from experts in international politics.

   Speaking on separate occasions Saturday with The Guardian, former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, and president of the Nigeria Society of International Relation, Prof. Jide Owoeye, both expressed regrets that the country unwittingly allowed the insurgency to get out hands and thereby necessitating regional intervention.

    The AU recently authorised a force of 7,500 troops from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Benin to fight the militants. The body is expected to seek a United Nations Security Council mandate, which could also include logistical support from other countries.

  On its part, the Niger government disclosed that the parliament in Niamey would tomorrow (Monday) vote to send its troops to Nigeria.

    Doubting the effect the regional intervention would bring, Owoeye, who is also the chairman, governing council of the Lead City University, Ibadan, lamented that nothing much is known by Nigerians of the conflict. “The Boko Haram insurgency, as far as one can see, is not beyond what the Federal Government can tackle without outside help. What is not clear is the extent to which the matter is taken seriously.

 The rule of engagement is not clear to anyone, even to the soldiers themselves. And this explains why we keep having allegations of mutiny in the armed forces and soldiers being accused of cowardice,” he said. Even as Akinyemi expressed sadness over the development. 

   “But I must say I am not happy at all that Nigerian armed forces, who over the years have reputations in the United Nations peacekeeping operation and in Ecomog has been among the best in the world, would have been so degraded that they could not have nipped the Boko Haram insurgency in the bud before it became a regional insurgency force and a monster it has become. I feel bad,” Akinyemi said. 

   The insurgency, in the last three or four years, according to Akinyemi, who was a member of the presidential committee on Boko Haram, has never been wholly made up of just Nigerians. 

    He added that it took the AU some time to come to terms with the need to intervene in the crisis because that is the way diplomacy normally works. “Unfortunately, diplomacy deals with yesterday’s events and not today’s events. For example, in the Ukraine crisis the battle with Ukraine and Russia has been going on for a while now and there are still debates whether to give Ukraine weapons to defend itself. The AU has to engage in extensive debate over the Nigerian issues. Don’t forget there are 52 countries on the continent and they have to debate the issue among themselves,” Akinyemi said.

   In the same light, Owoeye noted that when the Ecomog was formed to tackle insecurity in the West African sub-region, there was an invitation and law and order had clearly broken down in the affected countries. “But in the case of Nigeria, state governors are still on seat in the three most affected states of federation. Their state assemblies are still operating and the judiciary is still intact. So, in what manner would you say that you need outside help or how did outsiders think that you needed help?”