Nigerian army officials have announced a shake-up in assignments for some generals commanding the military force that remains a powerful force in this young democracy. In a statement released Wednesday, the army said it assigned 29 major generals and 43 brigadier generals to new positions as part of a major redeployment. The army gave no reason for the new assignments. Since gaining its independence from Britain 1960, Nigeria suffered through a string of coups and military rulers who all came from the nation's army. Though Nigeria became a democracy in 1999, shake-ups in barracks have occurred during periods of crisis in Africa's most populous nation. The Middle East News Agency (MENA) said the redeployments were part of Nigerian efforts against militant Islamist group Boko Haram, who are responsible -- through bombings and other attacks -- for over 250 deaths in less than a year. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/34690.aspx
