Africa leaders to spend $86m to fight Boko Haram

Africa leaders to spend $86m to fight Boko Haram

Leaders from Central Africa have met in Cameroon to finalise plans for a military
offensive against Boko Haram fighters in Nigeria and neighbouring countries.
Representatives of 10 nations met in the capital Yaounde on Monday under the
aegis of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and
committed to spend $86m to fight Boko Haram.
They also urged the international community to provide more support to counter
the armed group.
Nigeria-based Boko Haram has widened its attacks into neighbouring nations,
notably Cameroon and Chad, in a conflict estimated to have claimed a total
13,000 lives since 2009.
“This session is historic because we must use it to respond to the barbaric
actions of the terrorist group Boko Haram,” Hamid Alami, secretary-general of
ECCAS, said on Monday.
“This terrorist group has the military and human resources of a conventional army,
but uses asymmetric methods, making the fight more complex and costly for
Cameroon and Chad.”
The aim of Monday’s discussion was to come up with “an agreed solution” on the
fight against the group, a source close to the Cameroonian government told the
AFP news agency.