President Bola Tinubu has put his stamp of approval on the change of approach that Nigeria will adopt in the war against the lingering challenge of insurgency which has caused the loss of over 35,000 lives and the displacement of 2.2 million people.
Military chieftains and other stakeholders have in recent times advocated a change of strategy from the deployment of sheer military force to a non-kinetic approach, which embraces persuation and empathy.
Non-kinetic warfare refers to action against an adversary without a direct conventional military action. It comprises possibilities such as information warfare, cyber warfare and psychological operations among others.
Addressing the 63rd Ordinary session of ECOWAS Heads of State and Governments in Guinea-Bissau on Sunday, Tinubu spoke of a mix of kinetic and non-kinetic strategy to deal with insurgency in individual nations and on the continent as a whole.
Tinubu, who was appointed chairman of ECOWAS at the meeting in Guinea-Bissua, said the new strategy to the war against the insurgency covers a wide range of areas, including preventive diplomacy.
“There is also the Regional Plan of Action on Fight against Terrorism 2020-2024 as well as the operationalisation of the ECOWAS Standby Force on Fight Against Terrorism,” he added.
The Nigerian leader, however, warned that the threat to peace in the sub-region had reached an alarming proportion with terrorism and an emerging pattern of military takeover that now demand urgent and concerted actions.
He said insecurity and creeping terrorism were stunting the progress and development of the region.
