Nigeria, Jan. 27 -- In March 1994, the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) set up the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) - comprising Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, joined by Benin - to combat insecurity in the region.

The regional force symbolises LCBC member states' ability to overcome the mistrust and friction that had characterised their bilateral relations, particularly around boundary issues. However, in the past two years, rifts have weakened the MNJTF - while the jihadist threat remains acute and demands regional, not just national, responses.

After a lacklustre first ten years, the force was reactivated in 2014 in response to the rise and spread of Boko Haram attacks. Backed by the African Union (AU), its mandate focuses ...