Canadian forces ‘leave Niger town for B’Haram’

Soldiers of the Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR) who were involved in the training of Nigerien soldiers in the battle against Boko Haram have pulled out of the region in order to avoid a confrontation with the sect.

Since February 16, the Canadians had been participating in a counter-terrorism training sponsored by the United States, scheduled to end on March 9.

In the annual programme, 1,300 troops from 19 countries train militaries in five African countries in shooting, movement, communications, and mission planning.

They were posted to Diffa, a Nigerien town, where government declared a state of emergency on February 11 after repeated Boko Haram attacks.

CSOR disclosed that it was authorised to defend itself but had no approval from government to take part in the ongoing battle.

The force, which is involved in conducting missions overseas, is known for organising training for indigenous military forces launching attacks on enemy sites.

In the last few years, CSOR has trained the military of Mali, Niger, Jamaica, Belize, Kenya, Jordan, Malaysia, Iraq and Afghanistan.