ABSTRACT

Since the commencement of the counterinsurgency fight against Boko Haram, the Nigerian Army has been faced with internal crises, such as corruption, poor welfare conditions for soldiers, among others, which have undermined efforts at defeating the insurgents. Military authorities have both down-played and denied these internal challenges. The result is frequent mutiny by soldiers. This paper examines the drivers, dynamics, and responses to mutiny within the Nigeria Army in the context of ongoing counterinsurgency (COIN) operation in the northeast. Anchored on the analytical framework of Tactical Communication Strategy, the paper contends that resort to mutiny is a strategy by soldiers to open up dialogue with the military authority and communicate to the public the internal factors that account for battlefield failures. Hence, the paper recommends that soldiers’ welfare be given high priority rather than resort to punitive measures.

摘要

自打击博科圣地组织的反叛乱行动开始以来，尼日利亚军队一直面临内部危机，例如腐败、士兵福利条件差等，这些都破坏了打击叛乱分子的努力。军方当局既淡化又否认这些内部挑战。结果是士兵经常兵变。本文研究了在东北部正在进行的平叛 (COIN) 行动的背景下，尼日利亚军队内部发生兵变的驱动因素、动态和反应。基于战术沟通战略的分析框架，本文认为兵变是士兵与军事当局展开对话并向公众传达导致战场失败的内部因素的一种战略。因此，