THE tone and tenor of
speeches of Heads of State and government at the Regional Security
Summit hosted on Saturday by President Muhammadu Buhari suggest that the
countries in the Lake Chad region are looking beyond the Boko Haram
terrorism.
Smart leaders they are, they didn’t present themselves back-slapping
each other in a congratulatory mood over the enormous feat they have
accomplished in the last ten or so months, substantially reducing the
terrorist threats in the region to the point of being described as a
mopping up operation.
They were conscious of the fact the the Chibok Girls have not been
found. No success can be declared in this war without the girls being
found and reunited with their families.
In addition, the world has come a long way since Gorge W. Bush stood
there atop the ship “Abraham Lincoln” being saluted by the flight deck
crew to read a speech announcing an end to the Iraq war. “The 2003
Mission Accomplished” banner dominated the background as he spoke. But
with hindsight, the world knows that the war against Iraq is still work
in progress.
The then American President, George Bush was to say to a CNN interviewer
a few years later that he regretted the outlandish display. In November
2008 specifically, Bush indicated that he regretted the use of the
banner, stating that it conveyed the wrong message.
Massive public relations failure
There are many who believe that the United States is still paying a
price for that massive public relations failure.
In all probability, the world would have benefited more from the leaders
if the summiteers in Abuja had to say everything on the war situation
as it enters its end in their territories but they, instead, chose to
dwell on the the promise of the future and what can be done to steer the
economy and humanitarian situation into better times.
While acknowledging the progress so far made, the summiteers who
included French President Francois Hollande, Nigeria’s Buhammadu Buhari
and ten other African Presidents, prime ministers and delegates
concluded that defeating Boko Haram Terrorist Group will require a
sustained comprehensive approach based on clear and coordinated plans of
engagementat at the regional level. Such an approach, they said, must
confront challenges relating to effective security operations, providing
civilian security and civil administration, restoring stability, and
promoting economic development and job creation to break the cycle of
violence in all countries where Boko Haram is active.
Among other things, they recommended the enlistment of local community
and religious leaders as constantly hammered on by President Buhari;
increased intelligence sharing; the prioritization of the public
education system and sparing no effort in the continuing search for the
Chibok schoolgirls and all those abducted by Boko Haram by pooling
intelligence resources.
The leaders also agreed to support the victims of sexual violence or
forced marriage by Boko Haram, and the need to provide them with
appropriate support including reintegration to communities; that
defeating the insurgency requires more than a Military solution but that
it also requires government-led development action to tackle the root
causes of insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin through the development of
education and economic opportunities.
The summit agreed to address the humanitarian situation affecting
millions of IDPs, refugees and host communities in Nigeria, Cameroon,
Chad and Niger. The critical situation of the inhabitants of the
newly-liberated towns and villages was also adjudged to be very
pathetic. The summit agreed to provide and rehabilitate facilities in
the devastated towns and villages with a view to creating conditions for
citizens to live without fear of violence and return to conventional
life and called for additional support from the international community.
They, in addition, took special note of the 20,000 unaccompanied
children (below the age of 18 years) displaced by the conflict and over
6000 minors,under the age of five years, and agreed to work together
with international organisations to reunite those children with their
families.
One other major step toward a lasting solution towards permanent peace
in the region is identified as coming through the acceleration,
specifically within three (3) years, of the implementation of the Lake
Chad Development and Climate Resilience Action Plan as presented on the
margins of COP21 in Paris in consultation with communitiesof the Lake
Chad. It is hoped that the accelerated implementation of the Action Plan
would go along way in bringing development to the Lake Chad Basin.
As a matter of fact, the summit blamed the impact of climate change for
the unemployment and crime in the region and urged the LCBC and other
willing partners to pursue the goal of inter-basin water transfer
project with a view to restoring its normal level, mitigating drought,
re-establishing fishery, irrigation and navigation.
For Nigeria in particular, the period of the summit was used to receive
an important visitor described as a friend of Africa, Francois Hollande
who, in a literal sense killed two birds one stone. He engaged his host,
President Buhari in a bilateral meeting in the early part of the day
and in the afternoon,joined the other leaders at the summit. The two
presidents reviewed the activities of the Multinational Joint Task
Force, MNJTF and the progress made since the Climate Change agreement,
COP 21 in Paris. President Hollande gave commitment to Nigeria on the
resettlement of IDPs as well as his continuing support towards the
reestablishment of full security in the Lake Chad region. Five
agreements were signed between the Nigerian parties and their French
partners.
A cultural agreement and a scientific and technical agreement were
signed by government ministers. Dangote Group’s Dansa Foods Limited
signed an agreement with the French company Nutriset for the production
of nutritional foods in the North East. The state development
commission, AFD of France signed two credit agreements with the Ministry
of Finance and one with Zenith Bank for amounts that were not
disclosed.
In the margins of the security summit, the President also received in
audience and at their request, Presidents Macky Sall of Senegal, Patrice
Talon of Benin and Idris Deby Itno of Chad.
The President also had audiences with the British Secretary for Foreign
and Commonwealth Office, Rt. Hon. Phillip Hammond, the U.S Deputy
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and the Deputy President of the
European Union Ms Federica Moghereni.
President Macky Sall raised concerns about the need for the emergence of
a good candidate for the Chairmanship of the soon-to-be vacant African
Union Commission in view of the decision of Mrs Zuma not to run for a
second term. He told President Buhari that his country has such a
capable candidate.
He also raised an issue concerning the administration of former
President Goodluck Jonathan.
President Patrice Talon seemed very keen to strengthen the very warm and
friendly relations he met on the ground between his country and
Nigeria. He intends to pay a State visit to this country in the shortest
possible time.
President Deby Itno gave important news about some Boko Haram hideouts
on the border between our countries against which Chadian troops will
soon to be tackling.
He was also interested in promoting a railway line linking Nigeria and
Chad.
Right Hon. Philip Hammond had a lengthy time with President Buhari,
their discussions spanning a wide range of issues including, of course
Boko Haram, the reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure, the
insecurity in the Niger Delta, corruption and the issue of population
growth in the country.
Although this summit also discussed a yet-to-be fixed donors conference
on the rebuilding of the LBCD areas, the EU brought the good news of the
plan to spend 140 million Euros in that regards in the next five years.
The EU also announced a plan to spend 40 million Euros in the
reconstruction of the Northeast. The US promised an immediate return of
Nigeria’s stolen350 million Dollars held up their country. China, the
African Development Bank,ADB, the Islamic Development Bank, IDB, the
World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, IMF have all pledged
various contributions they will be making.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s just-concluded Regional Security Summit,
which was the second after the initial one by President Hollande in
Paris two years ago, has produced a communique unprecedented in terms of
the strong words used and the space devoted to fighting terrorism,
post-conflict resettlement and rehabilitation as well as ways of
bringing social and economic justice, growth and development to a
battered part of Africa. It also unveiled an expansive security
cooperation agenda that can binds the West and Central African states to
their U.S., European and Asian partners towards a lasting peace, itself
a prerequisite for progress and development in the region and the
continent. In spite of the foot dragging by some participants, President
Buhari’s key takeaways will include a benign consent to a partnership
of the willing to recharge the Lake Chad with waters from rivers in
Central Africa.
On account of these milestones, the leaders had no hesitation is
agreeing to make the Regional Security Summit a regular one.
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