The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Idris Deby

  • Insecurity: Buhari orders Defence Minister to parley with Chad

    President Muhammadu Buhari has dispatched the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali to Chad  for an urgent meeting with President Idris Deby and his defence counterpart on the deterioration of security situation on the Nigeria–Chad border.
    The insecurity situation has led to the recently increased Boko Haram terrorism in the area.
    This was disclosed by reliable sources on condition of anonymity in Abuja.
    One of the sources said “Nigeria has a Chad  problem in the Multi-National Joint Task Force, MNJTF put together to secure the Lake Chad basin areas and repel the Boko Haram terrorism attacks against all the countries neighbouring the Lake.”
    Stressing that Chad is believed to be having its own internal security challenges, he said that it has reportedly led to the country pulling away it’s own troops manning their own boarder around Lake Chad.

    Read Also: Boko Haram: Navy deploys more boats in Lake Chad

    “That lacuna is being exploited by the Boko Haram terrorists, who go in and out of Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon to launch terrorist acts. This is a clear illustration of the fact that terrorism is beyond national borders.” he said
    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity Garba Shehu said he is aware that the Defence Minister is going to Chad.
    But that he was not aware of his mission to Chad.

  • Dan- Ali, other defence ministers visit Chadian president

    The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, has appealed to President Idris Deby of Chad to call on all those who pledged financial and material support to Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) to fulfill their promise.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Deby is the current chairman of the African Union.

    A statement by the ministry said the Dan- Ali made the appeal when he led a team of Ministers of Defence and Chiefs of Defence Staff of countries contributing troops to the multinational joint task force to visit Deby.

    The countries are Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroun and Benin.

    The minister and defence chiefs were in N’Djamena for a meeting of the LCBC.

    The statement, issued by Col. Tukur Gusau, the minister’s Public Relations Officer, was made available to journalists on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Dan-Ali said the call was necessary to enable the MNJTF execute its mandate in the region effectively.

     

  • AU backs ECOWAS’ decision on Gambia

    The Chairman of the African Union (AU), Mr. Idriss Deby, on Monday expressed full support for the decisions adopted by the ECOWAS Heads of State on the political situation in The Gambia.

    In a statement issued in Addis Ababa, Deby commended the ECOWAS Heads of State for their “principled stand with regards to the situation in The Gambia.

    He said the AU was in full support of the decisions reached at the meeting held in Abuja on December 16, including “the consideration to use all necessary means to ensure the respect of the will of the people of The Gambia.’’

    “The Chairman of AU reaffirms its readiness to pursue and intensify coordination efforts with ECOWAS and the United Nations,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the statement as saying on Monday.

    “This is in order to facilitate the speedy and orderly transfer of power to the President-elect, including its full support to President Muhammadu Buhari, in his capacity as ECOWAS Mediator in The Gambia.’’

    Deby, who is the President of Chad, repeated his call on The Gambia’s outgoing President Yahya Jammeh to facilitate the smooth transfer of power to the newly elected president, Adama Barrow, as decided by The Gambians.

    He also called on members of the security forces in The Gambia to strictly abide by the country’s Constitution and the rule of law.

     

  • Boko Haram’s end in sight – Buhari

    Boko Haram’s end in sight – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday reaffirmed his conviction that the end of the Boko Haram insurgency is in sight with the new vigour the war against terrorism is being prosecuted by Nigeria and her allies.

    Speaking during an audience with Mr. Mousa Faki Mahamat, the Chadian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Special Envoy of President Idris Deby, President Buhari said with higher morale among troops fighting the Boko Haram militants and their improved logistics, equipment and training, a rapid end to the insurgency should be expected.

    The President, however said, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, that Nigeria and Chad must be prepared to make more sacrifices to end the scourge of Boko Haram since they were at the “very heart of the insurgency.”

    “We will sustain our effort and the insurgents will be defeated soon,” President Buhari said.

    The Chadian minister said President Deby appreciated the leadership being shown by President Buhari in the war against terrorism.

    “We also appreciate the diligence shown in appointing a commander for the Multinational Joint Task Force, and President Deby believes that the fight will end in a few months.

    “Our people rely on us to end the insurgency, because economic development is being hampered.  This fight has to come to an end. My coming here is to reaffirm our full commitment. Beyond the number of troops earlier announced, Chad is still ready to commit more soldiers.

    “The enemy is weakened already. Let’s stand firm, and neutralize them,” he stated.

     

  • Boko Haram has been decapitated – Chadian president

    Boko Haram has been decapitated – Chadian president

    Chadian President Idriss Deby  on declared Tuesday that efforts to combat the Boko Haram sect had succeeded in “decapitating” the group and would be wrapped up “by the end of the year.”

    Addressing reporters in the capital N’Djamena on the 55th anniversary of Chad’s independence from France, Deby said: “Boko Haram is decapitated. There are little groups (of Boko Haram members) scattered throughout northeast Nigeria, on the border with Cameroon. It is within our power to definitively overcome Boko Haram.”

    “The war will be short, with the setting up of the regional force, it will be over by the end of the year,” Deby added, referring to a new five-country force aimed at ending Boko Haram’s bloody six-year insurgency that he said would be “operational in a few days.”

    Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria have all pledged troops towards the new force, AFP reports.

    Deby further claimed that Boko Haram was no longer led by the fearsome Abubakar Shekau and that his successor was open to talks.

    “There is someone apparently called Mahamat Daoud who is said to have replaced Abubakar Shekau and he wants to negotiate with the Nigerian government.

    “For my part, I would advise not to negotiate with a terrorist,” Deby, whose country has been spearheading the regional fightback against Boko Haram, said.

    While claiming progress in the fight against the sect, who have repeatedly hit border areas of Cameroon, Chad and Niger, and wrought havoc in northeast Nigeria, Deby admitted that suicide bombers still posed a threat.

    In the past few week, suicide bombers, many of them women, have staged several attacks in Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad.

    The challenge, Deby said, was to “avoid terrorist acts and that’s why we must organise at the regional level to prevent bomb-making materials and other explosives entering our countries.”

     

  • Buhari seeks more action against Boko Haram

    Buhari seeks more action against Boko Haram

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday called on member-countries of the Lake Chad Commission to redouble their efforts to intensify the operations of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) established to tackle the Boko Haram insurgency.

    He spoke during bilateral talks between Nigeria and Chad in N’djamena, Chad.

    Buhari, according to a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mal. Garba Shehu, noted that the security of Nigeria and her neighbours were intrinsically linked and that it is very essential that they cooperate on security issues in a robust and sustained manner.

    The President also said he is quite certain that when it is fully deployed and functional, the MNJTF, which comprises troops from Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon will be able to secure and stabilize all the areas affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.

    He reaffirmed his conviction that with greater cooperation among Nigeria and neighbouring countries, the Boko Haram insurgency will be brought to an end very soon.

    His remarks came on the heels of Wednesday’s appointment of Major-General Tukur Buratai of Nigeria as the Force Commander of the reorganised MNJTF, which also has Benin Republic as honorary member.

    Buhari thanked Chad for her invaluable support in the fight against insurgency and terrorism.

    He said: “Your troops have stood shoulder to shoulder and fought gallantly with ours in the fight against the forces of evil.

    “This is a remarkable show of good neighbourliness, which we must reinforce in the years ahead,’’ he told President Idriss Deby Itno.

    President Buhari, who is on his first visit to Chad, after assuming office on Friday, expressed concern that the insurgency has taken a huge toll on citizens of both countries, many of whom  have been forced to flee their homes.

    He said the harrowing images of displaced citizens of both countries, in search of safety and succour, must spur their governments and others in the sub-region to do more “to restore their dignity and give them the relief they need.”

    On the bilateral relations between Nigeria and Chad, Buhari noted that both countries were bound by “nature,” adding that they must therefore work together to find lasting solutions to issues of border management, migration and movement of goods and services.

    The President, who had earlier thanked President Deby for attending his inauguration ceremony on May 29 in Abuja, said that he would return to Nigeria with the assurance that Nigeria and Chad are poised to intensify their cooperation.

    In his remarks, President Deby commended Buhari for his “wise decision’’ to relocate the Nigerian Military Command center from Abuja to Maiduguri.

    The Chadian President said the decision, which was announced in President Buhari’s inaugural address, was a right step towards restoring peace and security to states affected by terrorism, and the sub-region.

    He assured President Buhari that Chad will continue to work with Nigeria to achieve lasting peace and security in the sub-region, given their historic, cultural and economic ties.

     

  • Jonathan warned about Boko Haram ceasefire – Chadian president

    Jonathan warned about Boko Haram ceasefire – Chadian president

    Chadian President Idris Deby has said he warned President Goodluck Jonathan against holding talks with the Boko Haram sect, saying the whole episode was orchestrated by the insurgents to buy time and regroup.

    Deby said President Jonathan dismissed the advice and held talks with the sect, a decision he said was for political reasons.

    The Chadian leader accused his Nigerian counterpart of downplaying the Boko Haram threat.

    “I told President Jonathan not to open negotiations with terrorists but it was a political choice,” AFP quoted Deby as saying in an interview with French magazine, Le Point.

    “It has become something too serious for Nigerians to ignore. The blood of the dead that we have been counting every day for the past few years demands attention.”

    The October ceasefire humiliated the Nigerian government after it claimed to have reached a deal with the insurgents, who are responsible for more than 15,000 deaths.

    At the time, the Nigerian military said the talks were credible and directed its field commanders to immediately suspend hostilities against the sect.

    The talks were reportedly facilitated by the Chadian president, accused earlier of providing safe haven for insurgents.

    Shortly after the announcement, Boko Haram continued its attacks, sacking villages and killing innocent people.

    The Nigerian government initially claimed that the sect’s splinter groups were responsible for the continued fighting, but later blamed the failure on sabotage.

    Mr. Deby said President Jonathan and his military had underestimated Boko Haram for too long.

    “The whole world is asking why the Nigerian army, which is a big arm is not in a position to stand up to untrained kids armed with Kalashnikovs,” he said.

    Speaking about the ongoing war that involves Chad, Niger and Cameroun, the Chadian President said the Nigerian military has not cooperated with his country in fighting the insurgents.

    He said the two sides have not had any direct contact since Chad became involved in the conflict.

    “Two months after the start of this war, we have not had any direct contact with the Nigerian army units on the ground,” he said.

  • Abductions no threat to talks with Boko Haram, says govt

    Abductions no threat to talks with Boko Haram, says govt

    The Federal Government is insisting that new abductions and fightings are not enough to threaten the ongoing talks with Boko Haram.

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Amb. Aminu Wali told the media that the  government was hopeful of a fruitful outcome of the talks brokered by the  Niger Republic President Idris Deby.

    Wali spoke when he received the Foreign Minister of France and Germany, Mr. Laurent Fabius and Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in Abuja.

    Wali, who did not rule out the existence of a splinter group in Boko Haram, also noted that the latest abductions and attacks may not have been carried out by the sect whose representatives are in talks with the Federal Government.

    He said: “Yes; there is a ceasefire and negotiation is still going on and we expect a lot of progress have been made and soon we will announce exactly where we are. Of course, when the negotiation is still on it will be delicate for us to start making pronouncement; until after we are sure of what we have been able to achieve.

    “The question of the Chibok girls, yes, they are part of the discussion and they are part of the negotiations.”

    On the recent abductions, Wali said: “This is something that has been going on for sometime now. And, of course, the statement issued by one of the Boko Haram that those ones were done by either rogues or criminals and not Boko Haram. So kidnapping in Nigeria has been going on for sometime, not by Boko Haram, but by criminals and miscreants. But we also suspect that some dissidents of non-Boko Haram body could probably have gone to break the ceasefire, but certainly this is not something that will threaten the negotiation that is going on. Also, we have made efforts to bring back those who were kidnapped.”

    Meanwhile, the visiting European ministers announced that they were ready to support any effort towards a ceasefire.

    Besides, they are working on a  humanitarian force to assist Nigeria and other West African countries in handling humanitarian issues.

    Victims of Boko Haram and those of natural disasters will benefit from the initiatives after the approval of the European Union (EU).

    Besides, the duo noted that they would be helping Nigeria to train 200 healthcare professionals.

    The duo and their delegations had earlier visited the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) where they promised to support the commission in conducting free and fair elections in 2015.

    Fabius and Steinmeier warned that Nigeria’s image is at stake in the coming 2015 general elections, stressing that “because of the importance of Nigeria, “we agreed to have direct contact with Nigerians (Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the Commission”.

    They however expressed the hope that the commission would overcome the challenges as it did in 2011 and, at the end, conduct  free, fair and transparent elections.

    The visiting ministers also noted that the European Union (EU) was willing to contribute to the success of the commission financially and also dispatch a EU observer group.

    The ministers also said that they were willing to know the country’s approach to security and displaced people ahead of the elections.

    Jega had noted that the commission was fully aware of the enormous responsibility to conduct free, fair and acceptable elections.

    He also noted that the security challenge notwithstanding, the Commission was set to conduct elections across the country.

    Jega, who recieved the visiting ministers, assured them that the commission had done everything possible to ensure that no one would be excluded from participating in the February 2015 general elections as a result of the activities of the Boko Haram group in the Northeast.

    He noted that the commission was hopeful that the security challenges would have been over before the elections.

    Jega said: “Security is a challenge. We cannot underestimate it, but we feel we can conduct elections across the country.”

    He stressed that the prayer of the commission is that before 2015 elections, the fighting against Boko Haram would have been concluded.

    He therefore stressed, “we will deliver free, fair and credible elections. There are challenges no doubt but we will succeed.”