By General Christopher Musa, has assured that Nigeria’s Armed Forces have no plans to go to war with any country in the Sahel, despite the recent withdrawals from ECOWAS and rising political tensions in the region.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday while hosting a delegation from the Sahelian Think Tank (Alliance De Sahel), General Musa made it clear that the countries of the region are not enemies. The delegation included representatives from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, who came to learn from Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts, particularly the successes of Operation Safe Corridor.
General Musa dispelled the narrative that Nigeria and its Sahel neighbours are adversaries. Instead, he revealed that military forces across the region have been working together quietly. He also expressed plans to visit military leaders in Mali and Burkina Faso to strengthen regional cooperation.
He stressed that Nigeria’s security is directly linked to the stability of the Sahel, explaining that terrorism in one country inevitably affects the others. “What happens in the Sahel affects Nigeria, and what happens in Nigeria affects the Sahel. So, we must work together to defeat our common enemies,” Musa said.
The Defence Chief emphasised that African unity is crucial in the fight against terrorism. He described terrorists in the Sahel as enemies who have no respect for life, humanity, or national borders, saying only strong collaboration can defeat them.
Musa further noted that military action alone is not enough to solve the crisis, highlighting that the kinetic approach only covers about 30% of the solution. The remaining 70%, he said, requires non-kinetic strategies such as rehabilitation, dialogue, and community engagement — approaches Nigeria is ready to share with its neighbours.
