Chad troops to redeploy south

N'Djamena - Much of the Chadian force
fighting Boko Haram in Nigeria has withdrawn
to Cameroon and is preparing to deploy further
south, Chadian soldiers and a Cameroonian
military official said on Thursday, signalling
the potential start of a new offensive.
Chad's military has spearheaded an operation
by Nigeria's neighbours against the Islamist
militant group that has killed thousands in
northeast Nigeria and, in recent months,
mounted increasing cross border raids.
Chadian soldiers, who asked not to be
identified, said troops operating in Nigeria had
pulled back from their forward base of
Gambaru to Fotokol, a town on the Cameroon
side of the border.
"We don't know the reason for the withdrawal.
We just received the orders," one of them
said, adding that the force was now heading
south to the border town of Banki.
Banki lies on the main road from Cameroon to
the Nigerian town of Bama, where Nigeria's
military has been planning an offensive.
A spokesperson for the Chadian military was
not immediately available for comment.
Chadian troops are also battling Boko Haram to
the north along the border with Niger.
A Cameroonian military source confirmed
Chadian troops had crossed back into Cameroon
and were headed south but gave no further
details.
Chadian troops last week pushed the furthest
they have gone into Nigeria when they freed
Dikwa, a town at a major crossroad some 80km
east of Maiduguri, the capital of the
northeastern Borno state.
Mistrust
Since then, Nigeria asked Chadian troops to
leave and deployed its own troops to the town,
Chadian officers said.
Mistrust and rivalries have hamstrung co-
ordination between the regional armies, which
are in the process of planning and seeking
United Nations backing for a joint 10 000-
strong force to defeat Boko Haram.
Chadian officials complain that Nigeria has
repeatedly prevented them from advancing
despite Chad having scored several victories
against the militants, who recently pledged
allegiance to Islamic State and aim to carve
out a caliphate in Nigeria's northeast.
Nigeria's military denies any lack of co-
operation and says it has not been credited
enough for its own gains against Boko Haram.
With Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan
seeking re-election at polls on 28 March, his
opponent Muhammadu Buhari has lambasted his
government for relying on Chadian
intervention to tackle Boko Haram.