Nigeria’s Buhari draws red line for regional anti-Boko Haram force

A new regional fighting force against Boko Haram will be headed by a Nigerian commander, the five-nation coalition agreed on Thursday, after talks on military strategy against the militants. The decision came after Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari rejected calls for a rotating command between the partners, arguing it could hamper the counter-insurgency effort. Buhari has made ending the six-year Islamist insurgency his top priority. Since coming to power on May 29, more than 150 people have been killed in an upsurge of attacks.

Terrorism has no frontiers and they must, because of the great implication for regional and global peace and security, be defeated.

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari

A final communique following three days of talks in Abuja on the remit of the new 8,700-strong force backed Buhari’s stance for a Nigerian to control operations “until the end of the mission." Cameroon will take the number two role of "deputy first commander” for an initial 12 months, while a Chadian will be appointed chief of staff, again for the first year, the statement said. "National contingents" of troops for the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) from Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin should be deployed by July 30, it added.

Africa Boko Haram