Zulum, Sahel countries’ reps meet to tackle Boko Haram

Zulum, Sahel countries’ reps meet to tackle Boko Haram

Representatives of Nigeria and Sahel countries yesterday met in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital to brainstorm on a fresh initiative against the Boko Haram scourge.

Hosted by Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, the retreat had in attendance ambassadors and other top government officials from Nigeria and the Sahel countries.

Host officials said the meeting focused on coordinated efforts to tackle terrorism, insurgency and the broader security crisis plaguing the region.

They said it underscored Maiduguri’s emerging role as a hub for regional counter-terrorism dialogue.

Speaking during the meeting, Zulum who has been at the forefront of advocacy for a comprehensive approach to insecurity, rallied regional stakeholders on the need for a unified front against terrorist groups, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP).

Citing his state’s long-standing experience with insurgency, Zulum said a purely military approach has proven insufficient and that the terrorism and displacement affecting the Sahel cannot be solved by kinetic means alone.

The Governor has consistently advocated for a multifaceted strategy that combines robust military offensives with non-kinetic interventions such as deradicalisation, reintegration, and humanitarian development.

“While our armed forces continue their brave operations, we must enhance intelligence sharing, community-based border management, and joint stabilisation initiatives alongside the Multinational Joint Task Force (MINTF),” he said.

Speaking earlier, the State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Sola Enikanolaiye, called for stronger regional cooperation to tackle terrorism in the Sahel region, noting that governments across the region should focus on addressing the root causes of the crisis.

Also speaking, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dunoma Umara, said the Sahel’s historical, cultural and economic ties with Nigeria made regional stability important to the country’s national security and prosperity.

Chad’s ambassador to Nigeria, Brah Mahamat, called for a collective resolve to address the insecurity in the Sahel region.

“Although we belong to different institutional groupings, this should in no way impede our common security,” he said.

He added: “Let us be clear: the enemy cares little whether we belong to CEMAC, ECOWAS or the AES. “Its aim is to continue slipping across our borders, exploiting the operational limitations we have imposed upon ourselves.”