Boko Haram resorts to internet threats

The easy victories won by Boko Haram terrorists in their terrorist attacks in Nigeria have hardly been replicated in Cameroon. If anything the multiple onslaughts of the jihadists have met with ferocious reprisals from a formidable, totally overhauled and fortified, and an omnipresent Cameroonian defence forces.
    This situation is evidently a bitter pill to swallow by the Boko Haram terrorists, who after trying several strategies without success against their Cameroonian adversaries, have now resorted to the use of the internet to propagate their propaganda that is replete with intimidation and threats.
    The latest of this threats was a video message posted on you tube on 5 January 2015, where-in the leader of Boko Haram, Abukakar Shekau is warning President Paul Biya and his forces to stop their attacks on Boko Haram or face the consequences.

    Abubakar Shekau in the video message also calls on Cameroonian youths to break away with Biya.
    In the video, the Boko Haram war-lord was shown carrying a Kalashnikov in one hand and firing shots in the air. Other images also showed him carrying two separate Kalasnikovs in both hands and shooting the two rifles simultaneously with both hands.
    Speaking in the video, Abukabkar Shekau pronounced President Biya’s name at least 12 times. Shooting in the air and raising his finger, Shekau promised to cause President Biya sleepless nights as he is doing to the Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan.
    He boasted that Boko Haram can never fail in their war against the “ignominy provoked by President Biya.”
    Abubakar Shekau said that even though he did not master the foufulde language, he hoped that his audience would understand the truth in his message.
    Addressing the Cameroonian youths whom he referred to as his friends, Abubakar Shekau urged them to withdraw the support they are giving president Biya and his democratic regime because according to him democracy is not God’s (Allah) system of government. He advised the youths not to follow democracy if ever they wanted to go to heaven.
    Following Abubakar Shekau’s video outing, some Cameroonians have expressed fears that the jihadists may change tactics and start attacking civilian targets in mainland Cameroon.
However, by press time yesterday Cameroonian authorities had not reacted to Abubakar Shekau’s threats. But some Cameroonian soldiers we talked to said Shekau’s outing is just a desperate move by a frustrated war-lord, who wants to boost the morale of his militants who are dying in their thousands on the Cameroonian front of their jihadist campaign.
    “Abubakar Shekau’s outing is an open acknowledgment of the impressive and overwhelming resistance of Cameroonian forces against Boko Haram. He is frustrated because he knows he is losing the war and he fears there will be no hiding place for him soon,” said a Cameroonian soldier, who promised that “This time around we will not wait for Boko Haram to attack us before riposting. We will pursue them right into their holes. We will make sure they have no breathing space.”
    It should be noted that ever since President Paul Biya reinforced and overhauled the military representation in the North of the country and appointed new and young commanders to head specialized units, the successes registered by the forces have been far-reaching and very commendable. Thousands of Boko Haram militants have been killed in battles by Cameroonian forces and countless others severely wounded.
    But so far just about 40 Cameroonian soldiers have died in the war.