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| Lake Chad is shared by Nigeria, its namesake and Nigeria including Cameroon. |
Some 80 US troops are currently in Chad preparing to eventually attack Boko Haram. The troops are trying to locate the missing 200 school girls who were kidnapped by Boko Haram insurgents from Chibok in Borno state in Northern Nigeria over six weeks ago. The group is responsible for several attacks over the past two weeks including a bus terminal bombing in Jos that killed some 110 people. The attacks are aimed at smacking the Nigerian government in the face showing off Boko Haram's fearless strengthen. It has turned citizen's anger towards Goodluck Jonathan and the government. Nigeria successfully hosted the World Economic Forum but the meeting as overshadowed by the whereabouts of the schoolchildren. The vigils by heartbroken parents continue in Lagos, Abuja, Chibok and around the world. Celebrities and children defense NGOs and spokesman have transformed the parents' pleas BringBackOurGirls into a social media phenomenon hash tag. Social media awareness does little to end the parents' nightmare.
Bring Back Our Girls: Nigerians Speak Out
Nollywood Star Stella Damasus speaks out on the kidnapped school girls
Why is France leading the help to find the missing girls?
Chad has been hosting Central African refugees and Chadians who escaped the violence in neighboring Central African Republic also known as Centrafrique in French. Both countries have French troops involve in their respective conflicts. Operation Sangaris in Central African Republic was supposed to end the violence between the main rebel groups Seleka and Anti-Balaka in aftermath of Bozize's coup in 2012 but has not helped either civilians or the CAR government who recently elected a new Prime Minister. Central African refugees and migrants from neighboring and further countries who crossed the Chadian-CAR, are waiting for the war or conflict to end before returning to their homes in CAR. In Chad, French military intervened in 1983 under Operation Manta to halt the Libyan invasion of Chad's northern strip of land known as Aouzou during the Libyan-Chadian conflict. Libya claims that Aouzou. French forces didn't prevent the Libyan Army from nearly invading the Chadian capital Ndjamena but tried to partition Chad along its 16th parallel line (similar to French and American partition of Vietnam or North and South Korea) to somewhat appease Libya in its military advancement into Chad. The Aouzou strip and Libyan-Chadian conflict was part of colonial jigsaw puzzle that created artificial states from larger territories either along ethnic lines or culture to appease rising nationalist sentiments. Since the Operation Epervier began in 1984, French troops have stayed on Chad monitoring it and other neighboring countries. France has been deploying troops in Chad, Centrafrique, Cote d' Ivoire, Mali under various operations while maintaining a decent size military base in Djibouti next door to Somalia. France's own eyes and ears are scanning African countries both former colonies and neighboring countries with no connection to L'Francafrique or Francophone sphere for any signs of destabilization be it political or economic. Destablization brings out the imperialism's opportunists: the economic hitmen, CIA assets, DGSE, sometimes Mossad, . Security red flags in Nigeria, Mali, Libya or Central African Republic among other countries have long worried France and U.S. who fear loosing their pro West, pro multinationals' investment African allies no matter how hostile, corrupt or dictatorial Western backed governments are towards their people and neighbors. France wants to remain part of Africa's economic rise, certainly would like to enjoy its easy access to natural resources and regain its lost influence in its former colonies. Nigeria borders three French speaking countries which has given France the go ahead it needs to use Chad or Niger as a military launchpad against Boko Haram. Although fairly peaceful, Cameroon has occasionally allowed French forces to station itself on its borders to intervene in Central African Republic conflict.
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