01401nas a2200181   4500000000100000008004100001653002900042653001500071653000900086653002100095653001000116653001200126100001900138245009700157300001100254490000700265520094700272       2021                            d10abalance of threat theory10aBoko Haram10aChad10aCounterterrorism10aMNJTF10aNigeria1 aOlayinka Ajala00aInterorganizational Cooperation and the Fight against Terrorism in West Africa and the Sahel  a97-1140 v483 a<p style="margin-left:19.85pt;">The transnational nature of security threats in the 21st Century are such that interorganizational cooperation is necessary to effectively combat these threats. This article explores a key organization, the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), charged with curtailing the threat posed by terrorism in certain parts of the Sahel and West Africa. Using the theoretical framework of Walt’s balance of threat and a combination of data obtained from ACLED and expert interviews, the article argues that the MNJTF has not been successful in achieving its mandate. This could be attributed to five lapses in the restructuring of the organization in 2015 to combat terrorism. The article concludes that for interorganizational security cooperation to be successful, the allies must equally acknowledge that they face the same existential threats which will make them commit to the demands of the organisation.</p>