UN Backs Nigeria’s War against Terrorism

11 Feb 2015

B2606212-Ban-Ki-moon.jpg - B2606212-Ban-Ki-moon.jpg Secretary General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon Nigerien parliament approves troops deployment to fight Boko Haram Jaiyeola Andrews in Abuja with agency report The United Nations (UN) has said it stands firmly behind Nigeria in its legitimate fight against Boko Haram terrorists. President Goodluck Jonathan also got the assurance of the Secretary General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon, on the multinational force under the Lake Chad Basin Commission to combat the terrorists who committed atrocities in Nigeria’s North-east and in neighbouring territories. Nigerians as a whole were also commended for the maturity that was demonstrated following the postponement of the general election to March 28 and April 11. Former ECOWAS Chairman and Special Representative of UNSG for Nigeria and West Africa, Mr. Ibn Chambers, stated this while fielding questions from State House correspondents shortly after he led a team on a courtesy visit to President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday. Chambers said Nigeria would also get the support of the UN’s department of peacekeeping to assist with operations and planning, among other activities, as well as ensure that there is a truly joint operational force with a clear command and control and unity of purpose among the different countries contributing troops. He explained that this was necessary so that all the troops would work as one and channel their efforts collectively towards degrading and eliminating Boko Haram from the region. “In this, you can count on the strong support of the United Nations. The secretary general wishes to assure that in the area of humanitarian support with the displaced persons in Nigeria, we will continue to work with Nigerian authorities. “The president has assured that full material and logistics support would be provided to NEMA; the UN systems and other partners would work with NEMA and we hope that through our joint efforts, we will be able to bring some amelioration to the lives of the people who have been internally displaced as a result of the barbaric and cruel acts of Boko Haram,” he said. He added that the message was “that we appreciate the pure manner in which the electoral process is proceeding, the secretary general commends the president and other political leaders to continue on that path. “The secretary general expresses strong support in the fight against Boko Haram. Boko Haram is not a threat only to Nigeria or the region, but indeed is an international issue, and requires full international support in Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram the same way the fight is taken against Al-Shabaab, ISIS and AQIM in North Mali”. Chambers also said that the secretary general had a telephone conversation with President Jonathan last Friday, a day before he had spoken to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), when it was apparent of a possible postponement of the elections. “We have seen that the postponement has been accepted by all the political parties and stakeholders. The reasons adduced are known now. Of course in some states it is clear that very few people have been able to collect their PVCs,” he said. He noted that the extension had provided an opportunity for many more Nigerians to collect their PVCs to enable them exercise their franchise. “The secretary general told me to commend Mr. President and other leaders of the political parties and Nigerians as a whole for the maturity that has been demonstrated so far in this whole preparation towards the general election now scheduled for March. “We saw first of all the primaries, there were a lot of speculation about how they will go, they transpired in a very calm and peaceful manner. The campaigns started, and again, Nigerians have demonstrated a lot of maturity in the general manner in which the campaigns have taken place. “Naturally, in periods such as this, there will be heightened tension, heightened rhetoric, but on the whole we have had very little violence associated with this process. And this is the same also with the postponement, where there was a lot of speculation about what will happen. But so far this process has been proceeding in a calm, peaceful and credible manner. “This is the wish certainly of not just the UN, but also many friends of Nigeria. It is our expectation that all will continue to exercise restraint and keep this process clean. And that at the end of the day Nigerians will all accept the outcome of the vote of the people,” Chambers concluded. Meanwhile, Niger’s parliament has voted to send troops to Nigeria to join the fight against militant Islamist group, Boko Haram. The vote took place after Boko Haram attacked a prison and detonated a car bomb on Monday in the town of Diffa, near Niger’s border with Nigeria. MPs said parliament unanimously authorised deploying 750 soldiers with a regional force battling Boko Haram, reported the BBC. Boko Haram has increasingly drawn in Nigeria’s neighbours. On Saturday, Nigeria, Cameroun, Chad, Niger and Benin agreed to establish a 8,700-strong force to fight the group. Boko Haram launched its first attack in Niger last week, and has vowed to create an Islamic state. Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou, a Muslim, vowed to defeat Boko Haram. “All the Nigeriens know that these guys are not Muslims. On the contrary, what they are doing is not helping Islam,” he said, concerned about the growing threat posed by Boko Haram. The authorities have imposed an overnight curfew on Diffa and have banned the use of motorcycles, a common mode of transport, to prevent infiltration by the militants, he said. http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/un-backs-nigeria-s-war-against-terrorism/201535/