– French involvement –
France has troops deployed on peacekeeping duty in the Central African Republic and in Mali, where it sent a force last year to combat Al Qaeda-linked militants who had seized control of much of the north of the country.
Although the French believe that the intervention in Mali inflicted significant damage on groups such as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), military planners remain concerned about the implications of potential alliances being forged between militants in across the deeply unstable region.
In terms of concrete help for Nigeria’s anti-terrorism efforts, Paris has signalled that it could put Rafale fighter planes and drones it has based in the region at the disposal of Jonathan’s government for surveillance activities.
The Nigerian leader is under pressure to appear proactive over the abduction of the girls after widespread criticism over his government’s inaction, including his decision to cancel a visit to the girls’ hometown of Chibok that had been scheduled for Friday.
The kidnapping of 276 girls on April 14 – of which 223 are still missing – has brought international attention to the insurgency, which has been raging since 2009 and has claimed over 2,000 lives this year alone.
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