General Sir Richard Barrons KCB CBE gave evidence today to the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Select Committee Inquiry into sub-Saharan Africa. He said that local populations had often been badly let down by corrupt or incompetent governments and that aligning ourselves with them was the equivalent of “dancing with a broken doll” but that it was an act of self harm not to act – click link to watch the complete evidence session:

https://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/27c1e39d-f808-40fc-87f5-395a3d315e66

 Dancing With A Broken Doll

General Sir Richard Barrons KCB CBE today gave evidence to the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Select Committee Inquiry into sub-Saharan Africa.  

During his evidence to the Inquiry he addressed the rise of Islamist terror in countries like Somalia, Mali and Nigeria. 

He said that local populations had often been badly let down by corrupt or incompetent governments and that aligning ourselves with them was the equivalent of “dancing with a broken doll.”
But he added that it was an act of self harm not to act. 

He pointed to the failure of the Nigerian Government to ask for help in combating groups like Boko Haram. 

He warned UK politicians against tactical and short term token interventions and of the the danger of sending threadbare national armies into battle against better equipped insurgents. In growing local military capacity he said we had a key role, to train, advise, assist and accompany.

Also see:

https://www.davidalton.net/2020/03/12/child-labour-in-drcs-cobalt-mines-human-rights-activist-forced-to-flee-after-launching-a-legal-action-vs-against-tech-companies/

and

https://www.davidalton.net/2020/02/28/nigerias-federal-government-says-boko-haram-now-have-a-deliberate-policy-of-attacking-christians-and-that-the-killing-of-11-christians-on-christmas-eve-fits-into-the-strategy-and-one-m/