Defence Minister Musa Emphasizes Dual Approach for Counterterrorism Success

General Christopher Musa (Rtd), Nigeria's Minister of Defence, recently asserted that military might alone is insufficient to overcome terrorism within the nation. He stressed that achieving enduring peace necessitates integrating security actions with dialogue, community involvement, and other non-military strategies. During his appearance at an ARISE NEWS Townhall focusing on State Police, Musa clarified that although the armed forces are dedicated to eradicating terrorists through expert military engagements, true peace can only be secured by tackling the societal and human aspects of insecurity in conjunction with kinetic efforts. He stated, “You must be able to bring the kinetic and the non kinetic working together.”

The Minister further elaborated that military personnel adhere to strict rules of engagement, which dictate the appropriate use of force during operations. He quoted, “Members of the armed forces have their rules of engagement. Once you are deployed out for an operation, you are allowed to take out the enemy using the standards.” He also highlighted the rigorous training soldiers undergo prior to deployment, ensuring their capacity to differentiate between terrorists, bandits, and unarmed civilians during their assignments. “As professionals, we train our troops before deploying them. And once they are deployed, they are able to identify who is a bandit, who is a terrorist, and who is a civilian,” Musa explained.

Musa characterized asymmetric warfare as an exceptionally intricate type of conflict, primarily because adversaries frequently conceal themselves within the general populace. This makes it challenging for security operatives to pinpoint legitimate targets. He remarked, “Asymmetric warfare is a very, very difficult operation, because the enemy is within, the enemy is just that individual that you think is your citizen, or is your brother, or is your uncle, that you are protecting, is the one that could help me.”

He pointed out that global experiences confirm that overcoming insurgencies demands a blend of patience and a comprehensive strategy, not merely reliance on military power. Musa stated, “If you see worldwide, anywhere there’s asymmetric warfare, it takes a very long while before those things are coming.” Citing Turkey's prolonged engagement with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) over four decades, Musa illustrated how nations facing similar conflicts ultimately achieve success by integrating security measures with diplomatic engagement. He added, “In Turkey, they’ve been dealing with the PKK for over 40 years. It is just of recent, they are beginning together, and because they had to use the kinetic and the non kinetic.”

The defence minister underlined that no country has ever established enduring peace through military force alone. His exact words were, “No country can shoot itself to peace.” He contended that the kinetic, or military, dimension contributes only a small portion to effective counterterrorism, estimating it at “about 25, 30%.” In contrast, he posited that non-kinetic approaches, encompassing dialogue, understanding, and interaction with affected populations, constitute a significantly larger and more crucial component.

Musa highlighted the critical role of local communities in determining the outcome of security operations, noting that “These terrorists live within the communities.” He clarified that security agencies benefit immensely when residents collaborate by sharing intelligence. Conversely, operations become considerably more complex when terrorists garner local backing. He explained, “If the communities are on their side, it makes it difficult for the security forces to win the battle. And if the communities are with them, the security forces, it makes it a lot easier.”

Finally, the defence boss implored policymakers to address the fundamental drivers of insecurity instead of merely reacting to acts of violence post-occurrence. He posed a pertinent question: “The question we want to ask is, why are we where we are? And are we addressing those symptoms that have taken us where we are to be?”