2015 West African offensive

Starting in late January 2015, a coalition of West African troops launched an offensive against the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria.

Offensive

On January 23, 2015, it was disclosed that Nigerian troops were in final preparations for a major offensive against Boko Haram insurgents in North Eastern Nigeria. According to leaked security information, the final straw that prompted action was a Boko Haram video claiming that it had stockpiled "enough weapons to take on Nigeria and its neighbours".^[1] The video also prompted Cameroon, Chad, and Niger to realize the threat of growing Boko Haram power and pledge military support for the operation. The goal of the campaign was to eliminate "safe havens and escape routes of terrorists in or out of Nigeria" and provide "once and for all comprehensive operations" to eliminate the Boko Haram threat.^[1] Originally, the operation was expected to be complete before the planned February 14 elections.^[1]

A few days later, operations commenced. By February 6, Chadian and Nigerian warplanes and ground troops had forced Boko Haram forces to abandon about a dozen towns and villages. In response, Boko Haram attacked two villages in Nigeria and another in Cameroon, killing more than 100 civilians. In a battle on February 6, an estimated 100 insurgents, several military personnel, and one civilian were killed. On February 7, Nigeria announced that the elections would be postponed for six weeks, sighting unsafe voting conditions in the northeast. A small protest was held in response to the announcement with police preventing protesters from entering the electoral commission headquarters.^[2]

An agreement to provide 7500 African Union Troops from Chad, Cameroon, Benin and Niger for the operation was finalized on April 7.^[2]

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