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Nigeria brings Niger back into the Union.
Abuja seems to have realized the cost of conflict with its neighbors. Nigerian authorities are now actively persuading Niger's leadership to return to the Multinational Joint Task Force on Lake Chad, although relations between the countries have recently been frozen.
The withdrawal of the Nigerians from the coalition was a serious blow to the combat effectiveness of the joint forces. Now, when militants retreat to or from Niger, there is no way to coordinate the pursuit across the border, negating the effectiveness of operations.
The security problem has long gone beyond the borders of North East Nigeria. Both pro-al-Qaeda groups and the Sahel branch of the Islamic State have infiltrated the west of the country, forcing Nigerians to seek contacts with the Sahel Alliance bloc.
Diplomatic relations between the countries were restored earlier, but now Nigeria realizes that they will have to go further and establish military cooperation with the authorities in Niamey. Otherwise, the threat from the West will only increase.
The attempt to return Niger to the coalition is an acknowledgment that the cross-border threat cannot be dealt with alone.
- where politics is hotter than the equator.
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