Egypt Nigeria Military Leaders
The Republic of Egypt has pledged its support and cooperation to the West African Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) as efforts to stabilise the Lake Chad Basin continue to attract international backing.
The pledge was made when the Egyptian Ambassador to the Republic of Chad, Ambassador Tarek Youssef, accompanied by the Defence Attaché of the Republic of Egypt to Chad and Sudan, Staff Colonel Ahmed Gamal El-Barbary, paid a courtesy visit to the Headquarters of the Multinational Joint Task Force.
According to a statement by the Acting Chief Military Public Information Officer of the MNJTF, Lieutenant Colonel Iweha Ikedichi, “the Egyptian Ambassador described the MNJTF as a model security framework worthy of support and replication’.
He commended the Force for its role in countering terrorism across neighbouring countries within the Lake Chad Basin and sought clarification on the operational command structure of troops contributed by member states.
The Defence Attaché, Staff Colonel Ahmed Gamal El-Barbary, stated that Egypt was keen to facilitate cooperation with the MNJTF in areas including training, equipment support and operational collaboration.
He recalled Egypt’s longstanding engagement with nationals of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and reaffirmed the country’s readiness to provide practical assistance to strengthen the Force’s effectiveness.
Responding, the Force Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force, Major General Saidu Tanko Audu, thanked the Egyptian delegation for the visit, describing it as a strong demonstration of international confidence in the MNJTF.
He highlighted the achievements of the Force, including the degradation of Boko Haram terrorist capabilities and the facilitation of the safe return of internally displaced persons and refugees to their ancestral communities.
Major General Audu also traced the evolution of the MNJTF from its formative years to its adoption by the African Union as a model multinational force addressing shared security threats within the Lake Chad Basin.
He acknowledged Egypt’s experience in addressing security challenges within the Sahel and called for enhanced cooperation, particularly in intelligence sharing, counter-improvised explosive device capabilities and unmanned aerial vehicle jamming technologies.
Military Cooperation in West Africa
The Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) is a a combined multinational military force comprising units, mostly military, from Benin Republic , Republic of Cameroon , Chad and Nigeria. It is headquartered in N’Djamena, Republic of Chad.
It is mandated to bring an end to the Boko Haram insurgency. Republic of Niger has withdrawn its troops following suspension from ECOWAS in 2025.
The task force was first organized as a solely Nigerian force in 1994, during the administration of General Sani Abacha to “checkmate banditry activities and to facilitate free movement” along its northern border.
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 Nigeria.
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Sources – VON & YouTube
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