South Africa concern at Nigeria 'mercenaries'

The South African government is concerned its nationals may be working as mercenaries in Nigeria in the war against the Boko Haram militant group.

Nigerian government spokesman Mike Omeri told the BBC that foreigners were just training troops in the use of new weapons.

Nigeria has recently bought helicopter gunships and tanks from South Africa and former Soviet Union countries. But the South African government says the men may be involved in fighting.

Nigerian authorities are taking all the help they can get and have achieved some success against the jihadists. Whether we call them mercenaries or military trainers, as the Nigerian government would prefer, the hired men from South Africa and the former Soviet Union are deployed in the theatre of war and some are armed. 

 

Some have been helping train the Nigerian troops on how to use the recently acquired military equipment including helicopter gunships, tanks and armoured vehicles. But the South African authorities suspect this is cover for illegal mercenary work. 

For the Nigerian government, the issue of mercenaries is a sensitive one and adds to the already difficult job of explaining why it ever became necessary for the neighbouring armies of Chad, Niger and Cameroon to deploy inside Nigeria. 

It is against the law for South Africans to fight overseas for private gain. South Africa's Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula told the BBC that anyone suspected of fighting in Nigeria would be investigated by South African police.

...BBCNews