Donors at the African Union Summit have on Monday pledged the sum of $250 million towards the fight against Boko Haram insurgents.
Smail Chergui, the African Union Peace and Security Chief said “Boko Haram, facing the heat of a military onslaught in Nigeria, has in the past year stepped up cross-border attacks in Niger, Chad and Cameroon, while continuing shooting and suicide assaults on markets, mosques and other mostly civilian targets within Nigeria itself. Despite offensives by the regional force with troops from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, the Islamist jihadists maintain strongholds in areas that are difficult to access.”
While praising the efforts of the force for their bravery in the fight against the Islamist jihadist, Chergui said Territory had been wrested back, Great results have been achieved and we must consolidate these gains.
Chergui gave a breakdown of the $250 million donation, analysing that $110 million came from Nigeria, with the European Union offering 50 million euros, as well as donations from Britain and Switzerland.
Idriss Deby, Chad’s President and also the African Union Chairman, said it was crucial the money pledged was actually paid to show the firmness of African Union’s commitment in the fight against terrorism.
Geoffrey Onyeama, Nigerian Foreign Minister said advancements have been made in the fight against the terrorists but there is still a lot to be done, he continued that “Boko Haram is no longer able to operate freely as in the past or control territories as they did,
“We are making tremendous progress in this battle, but we still need to remain vigilant, we need to share information and cooperate.”
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