Saudi Arabia-Led Islamic Military Alliance Against Terrorism and Nigeria’s Policy Somersault

Eddy AKPOMERA

Abstract


Saudi Arabia initiative to lead an Islamic Military Alliance of 34 countries against terrorism is characterized by ambivalence and skewed membership to exclude rival Shi’a ideological nations. The timing of the initiative bears indices of panicky foreign policy to maintain the balance of regional power with Iran now free from economic sanctions. Nigeria, tormented by Boko Haram, a Sunni Wahhabi al-Qaeda terrorist organization, has always received cold shoulders from Saudi Arabia, despite appeals for assistance, which informed Nigeria’s initial rejection of membership of the Islamic Alliance. This has led to desperate arm twisting and foreign policy somersault. This paper has put in perspective the rhetorics of the Islamic military alliance and Nigeria’s twisted foreign policy dictated by desperate national economic interests.

Keywords


Terrorism; Foreign policy; Boko Haram; Alliance; Islam; Wahhabi; Shi’a

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/%25x

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