By Sumaila Ogbaje, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

The Nigerian military recently initiated a new diplomacy campaign aimed at fostering peace and stability as well as winning hearts and minds in communities.

Observers say this innovative approach marks a significant shift from the traditional militaristic approach to security, recognising that lasting peace can only be achieved through building trust and cooperation with local populations.

The campaign, which is being implemented across various theatres of operation, involves engaging with community leaders, women, and youth groups to understand their concerns and needs.

Under this mode, military personnel are being trained to be more empathetic and responsive to the needs of the communities, providing humanitarian assistance and support where possible.

One of the key aspects of this campaign is the emphasis on civic engagement; military personnel are participating in community development projects, such as building schools, hospitals, and roads, and providing medical care and educational support to local children.

These efforts are designed to demonstrate the military’s commitment to the well-being of the communities and help build trust and confidence.

The results of this campaign are already being felt; in several communities, local residents have expressed gratitude for the military’s efforts, noting that they feel safer and more confident in the military’s ability to protect them.

The campaign has also helped to reduce tensions and improve relationships between the military and local populations, making it easier to gather intelligence and conduct operations against terrorist groups.

The maiden edition of the military diplomacy campaign being conducted by the Directorate of Defence Media Operations at the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), commenced on April 24 in three states, namely, Adamawa, Anambra and Katsina.

The campaign is in line with the Chief of Defence Staff’s leadership concept, which is, “To Nurture a Professional Armed Forces of Nigeria that is People – Centric, Collaborative and Capable of Meeting its Constitutional Responsibilities in a Joint Environment”.

In Adamawa, specifically in Yola South Local Government Area, the campaign aims to promote peace, security, and patriotism by deepening civil-military relations through dialogue and sensitisation.

Addressing the audience at the Shagari Primary School premises in Yola, the DHQ Team Lead, Commander Godwin Egbunu, said the campaign was organised to also appreciate the people for their cooperation.

Egbunu said the campaign was an initiative of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, to encourage continued collaboration between the military and its host communities.

He said it was a way of reaching out to communities to encourage them to come out and share credible intelligence to support the ongoing military operations nationwide.

“Part of our message is for the youths and community members to desist from joining or being lured into criminal groups, cult groups, kidnapping gangs, and all other things that will bring about negative vices.

“We want to ensure that communities live at peace with one another, avoiding communal clashes.

“Wherever there are controversies, they should reach out to the nearest military unit to air their grievances so that the military can step in to avoid skirmishes.

“Also, we want to encourage you not to see the military as enemies but to see the military as partners and uphold the trust.

“The military is your military; so, they should love the military, embrace the military, and be friendly with the military,” he said.

Egbunu urged the people to also exhibit spirit of patriotism, orderliness and attitudinal change to ensure peace and security in their communities.

He also urged parents to observe their children, know how they lived outside homes to be able to know when they began to engage in negative activities.

Egbunu also urged them to always volunteer useful information to the military and other security agencies as well as avoid taking laws into their own hands, adding that self-defence did not mean killing another person.

The team leader also warned about the danger of fake news caused by the use of social media, saying that fake news had a negative impact on peace and security in the society.

He urged them to always rely on traditional media outlets like TV and radio stations to get authentic news or contact the nearest military formation to verify whatever information they had.

According to him, the military is not only about fighting but also engages in several non-kinetic efforts like medical outreaches, educational support and provision of essential amenities like boreholes.

He urged the people to be bold to relay whatever negative experience they might have had with the military in the past.

The Commander 23 Brigade Yola, Brig.-Gen. Paul Zawaya, represented by the Brigade’s Intelligence Officer, Lt.-Col. Felix Ayeni, commended the people for their cooperation with the military in tackling insecurity in the state.

He said the successes recorded by Operation Farauta in the state, were as a result of the support of the government and people of the state and pledged to sustain the operation to ensure that Adamawa remained safe and secured.

The Chairman, Yola South Local Government Area, Salihu Malkohi, represented by the Director of Media and Public Affairs, Aliyu Isah, thanked the CDS for the initiative and thanked the military for the good job being done in the state.

Malkohi said the local government had remained committed to supporting the military and other security agencies in ensuring peace and security in their communities.

He said the security being enjoyed in the local government had attracted an influx of people to the local government and attracted development and economic opportunities.

He solicited for more military presence in Adamawa, saying that were ready to give more land for more military barracks in the state.

Some of the community leaders commended the CDS for the military diplomacy campaign initiative, saying it would boost their confidence that they had a military that they could be proud of.

They called for frequent engagement of such nature to enable them to see the military as their partners and not oppressors.

Mr Darius Susarumso, a civil servant, said the engagement had painted a different picture of the military in the minds of the people.

He urged the military to take such campaigns to all parts of the country, especially the crisis affected areas, to be able to win the support of the people for their operations.

Malam Shehu Ali, a community leader and Secretary of Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) in Yola South, said the engagement was most desirable for both the military and the civilian populace.

Ali said the military diplomacy campaign remained the only way to enhance the performance of both and bridging the gap in communication to avoid being misunderstood and earn cooperation of the civil populace.

“Therefore, this meeting and this kind of forum is unique, fundamental and is very important.

“I am happy that the military initiated an approach to achieve it; you can see the level of openness from the participants; that tells you that they have been looking forward to having this kind of a room and they have gotten it,” he said.

Another stakeholder, Pastor Catherine Christopher, challenged parents to raise up their children in the fear of God, perform their duties, and be able to transfer the same value to their children.

She said the campaign had given them hope that the people had something to hold on to and look up to in the military, urging the people to pray more for the armed forces in their effort to rid the nation of insecurity.

Analysts say the campaign seeks to win the hearts and minds of citizens, encouraging them to support national unity, safety, and peace as part of the military’s non-kinetic approach to fighting insurgency.

They say with the right approach, the Nigerian military’s new diplomacy campaign can become a model for other countries facing similar security challenges; demonstrating the power of building bridges with local communities to achieve lasting peace and stability. (NANFeatures)

***If used, please credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria.