Boko Haram: Buhari Summons Heads of State Meeting in Chad

Agency Report/

 

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday departed Abuja for N’Djamena, Chad, to preside over the Summit of Heads of State and Governments of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Buhari, in his capacity as Chairman of the Summit summoned the meeting to find lasting solution to the menace of Boko Haram insurgency.

Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in a statement in Abuja says the meeting would take place in N’Djamena, Chad on Thursday.

Also, the President of Benin Republic, a troops-contributing country, was invited to attend the meeting.

The Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), and national operations of the affected countries have appreciably degraded the capacity of Boko Haram terrorists, although the insurgents still retain the capacity to attack isolated targets in desperate search for supplies.

According to Adesina, the one-day meeting will review the security situation in the areas affected by Boko Haram insurgency.

He said it would also adopt measures to enhance the capacity of the MNJTF to meet the challenges of securing the areas.

“The presidents of the LCBC member countries of Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and the Central African Republic have been invited to attend the meeting.

“The President of Benin Republic, a troops-contributing country has also been invited to attend.

“The MNJTF and the national operations of the affected countries have appreciably degraded the capacity of Boko Haram terrorists, although the insurgents still retain the capacity to attack isolated targets in desperate search for supplies,’’ Adesina stated.

Millions of people in Africa’s Lake Chad region (north-east Nigeria and parts of Niger, Chad and Cameroon) are facing a profound and protracted crisis driven by extreme poverty, climate change and violent conflicts according to the UN.

The crisis, the world body added had led to the internal displacement of 2.4 million people, the destruction of livelihoods, human rights abuses, and the disruption of health, education and other basic services.

More than 10 million vulnerable people need life-saving assistance and protection today. Women and children are particularly worse hit.

In February 2017, a conference on the Lake Chad region, co-hosted by Germany, Nigeria, Norway, and the United Nations took place in Oslo where donors pledged 672 million dollars to emergency assistance and support in 2017 and beyond.

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