Niger’s junta withdraws from Lake Chad anti-Islamist force

Coalition of former allies Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria fought armed insurgents including Boko Haram

Niger’s ruling junta has quit a regional force fighting armed Islamist groups in west Africa’s Lake Chad area, cementing an acrimonious split from former allies in the region.

The decision to exit the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) was announced in a bulletin on state television over the weekend. The move “reflects a stated intent to reinforce security for oil sites”, the bulletin stated, without providing further details.