Autocratic Chadian President Idriss Déby Itno may not be a leader to suit everybody’s taste, but his deployment of troops against Nigeria’s Boko Haram militants – as against jihadists in Mali two years ago – has confirmed his reputation as a regional leader who understands the need to counter a threat proactively. By comparison, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan does not come out well: with his forces seen as ineffective, if not part of the problem, in countering Boko Haram, the ‘accidental president’ has kept a low profile as north-eastern states have borne the brunt of jihadist assaults.
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