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The Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) is a combined multinational formation, comprising units, mostly military, from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, and Nigeria. It is headquartered in N’Djamena and is mandated to bring an end to the Boko Haram insurgency. Niger was a member until its withdrawal in 2025.

History

The task force was first organized as a solely Nigerian force in 1994, during the administration of Sani Abacha, to “checkmate banditry activities and to facilitate free movement” along its northern border.[1][2] In 1998 it was expanded to include units from neighboring Chad and Niger with the purpose of dealing with common cross-border security issues in the Lake Chad region, with its headquarters in the town of Baga, Borno State.[2]

Islamist groups grew and expanded their operations during the 2000s and early 2010s. Boko Haram’s insurgency began in 2009, and security forces across the region were increasingly directly challenged by jihadist militant groups. Boko Haram and Ansaru were the most active and well known. In April 2012, the MNJTF’s mandate was expanded to encompass counter-terrorism operations.[2]

Brigadier General Enitan Ransome-Kuti, son of Beko Ransome-Kuti and nephew of the musician Fela Kuti was a previous commander of the force.[1]

Development

In January 2015 the MNJTF headquarters in Baga, Nigeria, was overrun by militants of Boko Haram, who then proceeded to massacre local residents[2][3] and destroy the town, displacing many citizens.[4] At the time, only Nigerian soldiers were present in the HQ. There were reports that they fled the attackers.[5] It was an ignominious moment for the MNJTF, and indeed the contributing nations. The political process of expanding the MNJTF was given new strength and energy which led to swifter progress, including the expansion of troop numbers and mandate, and relocation of the HQ to N’Djamena, Chad.[6][7]

The most significant structural changes for the MNJTF that emerged from the meetings in 2015 were a rise in numbers, the creation of a new Concept of Operations under the supervision of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, and the move of the HQ to N’Djamena. It was agreed that a Nigerian officer would be the Force Commander for the duration of the mission against Boko Haram, with a Cameroonian as Deputy Commander and Chadian Chief of Staff. There is still considerable skepticism in the international community that the new force can deliver results,[8] and its success or otherwise as a multinational endeavor will be closely monitored.[9] Discontent has been voiced within coalition by Chadian president Idris Deby for shouldering disproportionate burden of fighting armed groups and announced confining its military operations to its boundaries.[10][11]

On 30 March 2025, Niger announced its withdrawal from the Force.[12]

Strucutres

Headquarters

  • Office of the Force Commander
  • Deputy Commander
  • Office of Chief of Staff
  • Civilian Advisor
  • Police Advisor
  • Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit
  • Legal Adviser
  • Mission Support Team
  • Military Staff
    • Chief of Administration
    • Chief of Military Information
    • Chief of Operations
    • Chief of Logistics
    • Chief of Plans
    • Chief of Communications
    • Chief of Civil-Military Cooperation
    • Medical Officer
    • Chief of Military Public Information

[13]

Sectors

Name Country Headquarters (with AOR) Unit Commander
Sector 1 Cameroon Mora, Far North Region 4th Joint Military Region, Cameroonian Armed Forces Brigadier General Dobekreo Bouba
Sector 2 Chad Baga Sola 4th Military Regiment, Chadian National Army Brigadier General Djouma Yousouf Mahamat Itno
Sector 3 Nigeria Monguno, Borno State 19 Brigade, Nigerian Army Brigadier General G. M. Mutkut
Sector 4 (former) Niger Diffa (along the Yobe River) 5th Military Regiment, Niger Armed Forces Colonel Mamane Sani Kiaou

[14]

MNJTF Commanders

No. Portrait Name Country Branch Term Start Term End
1 Major General Tukur Yusuf Buratai[15] Nigeria  Nigerian Army May 2015 31 July 2015
2 Major General Iliya Abbah[16] Nigeria  Nigerian Army 31 July 2015 January 2016
3 Major General Lamidi Adeosun[17] Nigeria  Nigerian Army January 2016 May 2017
4 Major General Lucky Irabor[18] Nigeria  Nigerian Army May 2017 August 2018
5 Major General C.O. Ude[19] Nigeria  Nigerian Army August 2018 November 19, 2019
6 Major General Ibrahim Manu Yusuf[20] Nigeria  Nigerian Army November 19, 2019 March 19, 2021
7 Major General Jide J. Ogunlade Nigeria  Nigerian Army March 19, 2021 August 2021
8 Major General Abdul Khalifah Ibrahim Nigeria  Nigerian Army August 2021 19 April 2023
9 Major General Gold Chibuisi[21][22] Nigeria  Nigerian Army 19 April 2023 14 July 2023
10 Major General Ibrahim Sallau Ali[23][24] Nigeria  Nigerian Army 14 July 2023 Present

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Musa, Sagir (7 May 2015). “Multinational Joint Task Forces, BHTs And Host Community”. Sahara Reporters. New York City, United States. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d “Boko Haram suffers heavy defeat in surprise attack on military base”. News Express. 5 January 2015. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  3. ^ “BBC News – Boko Haram attack: What happened in Baga?”. BBC News. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  4. ^ “Boko Haram displaces 1,636 in Baga”. News Express. 7 January 2015. Archived from the original on 5 June 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  5. ^ Roggio, Bill (4 January 2015). “Boko Haram overruns Multinational Joint Task Force base”. Long War Journal. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  6. ^ Tchioffo Kodjo. “Experts Meeting on the elaboration of operational documents for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) of the Member States of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and Benin against the Boko Haram terrorist group -African Union – Peace and Security Department”. African Union, Peace and Security Department. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  7. ^ “PSC Report – PSC to approve final plans for the regional fight against Boko Haram”. ISS Africa. Archived from the original on 30 June 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  8. ^ Peter Dörrie (30 January 2015). “The African Union Readies an Army to Fight Boko Haram — War Is Boring”. Medium. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  9. ^ “A Regional Multinational Joint Task Force to Combat Boko Haram”. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  10. ^ “Chad to stop participating in regional fight against armed groups”. www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  11. ^ “Chadian troops ‘kill 1,000 Boko Haram fighters’ in Lake Chad”. Al Jazeera. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  12. ^ “Niger withdraws from Lake Chad military force”. Reuters. 30 March 2025. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  13. ^ “Leadership – Multinational Joint Task Force”. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  14. ^ Assanvo, W., Abatan, J.E.A. & Sawadogo, W.A. (2016) Assessing the Multinational Joint Task Force against Boko Haram. West Africa Report issue 19, Institute for Security Studies, Pretoria, https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/war19.pdf
  15. ^ Iroegbu, S. (2015) ‘Military General Appointed Commander of the MNJTF’, This Day (Lagos), 3 June 2015.
  16. ^ Iroegbu, S. (2015) ‘Buratai Hands Over MNJTF Command to Abbah’, This Day (Lagos), 1 August 2015.
  17. ^ ‘New Commander for Troops Fighting Boko Haram Assumes Duty’, Premium Times (Abuja), 4 January 2016.
  18. ^ Omonobi, K., Marama, N. & Erunke, J. (2017) ‘Massive Shake-Up in Army’, Vanguard (Lagos), 11 May 2017.
  19. ^ Antigha, Timothy (19 August 2018). “General Ude Assumes Duty in MNJTF”. PRNigeria News. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
  20. ^ “MAJOR GENERAL IBRAHIM MANU YUSUF TAKES OVER IN MULTINATIONAL JOINT TASK FORCE – Multinational Joint Task Force”. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  21. ^ “Chibuisi Assumes Duty as New MNJTF Commander – THISDAYLIVE”. This Day.
  22. ^ 21.https://globalsentinelng.com/2021/03/19/ogunlade-takes-over-as-mnjtf-commander/
  23. ^ “Major General Chibuisi assumes command of Joint Task Force”. Voice of Nigeria. 14 July 2023.
  24. ^ “MNJTF: General Ali takes over as Force Commander”. 14 July 2023.