ADDRESS By PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELEJONATHAN, GCFR President Federal Republic of Nigeria AT THE REGIONAL SUMMIT ON SECURITY IN NIGERIA PARIS, FRANCE – SATURDAY 17TH MAY 2014PROTOCOL: 1. It gives me great pleasure to attend this Special Summit to deliberate on the current security situation in Nigeria. 2. Let me start by first expressing my deep thanks and appreciation to the President of the French Republic, His Excellency, Mr Francois Hollande, for convening this Summit. This is the second time within a year that we have come to Paris to discuss what are essentially African security issues. This present Summit further underscores President Hollande’s commitment to Africa’s stability, peace anddevelopment. 3. I also wish to thank my colleagues and brothers from Nigeria’s neighbouring countries, namely, His Excellency PresidentBoni Yayi of Benin Republic, His Excellency President Idriss Deby Itno of Chad, His Excellency President Paul Biya of Cameroon and President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger Republic, for their solidarity and friendly disposition in attending this Summit at a very short notice. Let me also thank the European Union, the United States Secretary of State,Senator John Kerry, and the Rt. Hon. William Hague, the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary of the United Kingdom for honouring this invitation. You have borne with my country, the huge burden of our counter-insurgency operations, sometimes with collateral damage. I thank you for your support and cooperation. 4. Without doubt, your concern and empathy with the government and people of Nigeria is a clear demonstration of true solidarity and brotherhood in ensuring thatthe current security challenges facing our country are addressed in a definitive and conclusive manner. 5. But let me state clearly from the outset that what started as a local insurgency in North Eastern Nigeria has now evolved into the new frontier of the global war of terrorism against our civilization, our way of life, and against the many prospects of stability in our region. This is not anymore a challenge to Nigeria alone; it is a threat to each and every one of us in this room. 6. The Boko Haram Sect emerged in 2002 while its insurgency phase started as far back as 2009. Officially known as the Jamaa’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’wati Wal Jihad, which in English means “people committedto the propagation of the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad”, the group is more commonly identified with its motivating principle, and referred to as Boko Haram which literally means, Western or non-Islamic education is prohibited. 7. The group is hostile to democracy; it uses every means to indoctrinate its members; its ultimate objective is to destabilize the country, and take over Nigeria in order to turn it into a base of operation in West Africa and the entire continent. 8. Since 2009, we have had to contend with many attacks and killings, which have now developed into a full-scale war targeting the stability and integrity of our Nation. Boko Haram has launched a vicious guerrilla-style campaign against thegovernment and the people of Nigeria. It has attacked schools, slaughtered studentsin their dormitories, destroyed villages, communities and government infrastructure and has wreaked havoc on the economic and social life of our people. 9. This unconventional war has so far claimed over twelve thousand lives, with more than 8, 000 persons injured or maimed, not to mention the displacement of thousands of innocent Nigerians. 10. We have developed intelligence, whichindicates clearly that global terrorist networks are deeply involved in the recentactivities of Boko Haram, which has now turned into an integral part of the Al Qaeda network as the West African Branch. More tellingly, the group runs an international network of training and incubation centres in such places as Gao and Kidal areas of Mali, the Diffa, Maradi and Maina Soro areas of Niger Republic, Maroua and Garoua areas of Republic of Cameroun, the Zango and Ridina quarters in Ndjamena, Chad, the Ranky-Kotsy area of Sudan, and also some cells in the Central African Republic. 11. As a responsible Government, we felt compelled to declare a State of Emergencyin three of Nigeria’s North Eastern States of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. This became necessary to give the security forces the required scope and authority, toenable them operate more efficiently in the affected areas in order to gain victory. 12. They were directed to adhere strictly toclearly spelt out rules of engagement and avoid any excesses that may amount to a violation of human rights. Careful regard for human rights has always been central to our counter-terrorism strategies, resulting in the adoption of rules and procedures to protect the civilian population from excessive collateral damage. 13. Last year, I had ordered the release from detention of women and under-aged persons who had been involved with terrorists and also, persons against whom prima facie cases could not be established.Proven incidents of human rights violation which may have involved our security forces are always promptly investigated and dealt with in accordance with our laws. 14. In addition to military operation, our administration has adopted what we have termed “a soft approach” to combatting the insurgency. This includes short, medium and long-term measures to mitigate the impact on the people and the entire country. Our focus along this line, has been mainly in form of the introduction of a robust educational programme in the Northern states, to reduce the number of out-of-school children and empower the youths. 15. We have launched economic recovery programmes to create jobs, while also providing infrastructure, which unfortunately is heavily threatened by the terror attacks. Other measures include the introduction of de-radicalization programmes for convicted terrorists and suspects awaiting trial, and the promotion of opportunities for dialogue and collaboration with critical stakeholders from the region. 16. Nonetheless, Boko Haram has continued to attack innocent Nigerians without regard to religion, ethnicity and gender. Christians have been killed; churches have been destroyed, Muslims have also been murdered and mosques destroyed. 17. The reprehensible abduction of innocent school girls in Chibok, Borno Stateis another manifestation of this criminality. 18. We believe that it is the success of our administration’s Transformation Agenda, evident in the growth of our economy and increasing opportunities for our people, that has prompted the terrorists to intensify the war against Nigeria, because our success is their failure. 19. The activities of the terrorists have alsobeen felt across Nigerian borders particularly in Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Border and cross-border attacks have taken place with Boko Haram terrorists seeking refuge in our neighbouring countries. So many Nigerians, fleeing from terror attacks, have also become refugees in our neighbouring countries creating additional burden (security and financial) in those countries. 20. It is the regional and global character of the terrorists’ campaign that makes it imperative that we explore and adopt a regional and global approach to addressing this insurgency and menace. Indeed, in the spirit of collective regional security, it is important that we accept that an attack on one country is an attack on allof us, and our common humanity. 21. It is equally important that we accept the principle of hot pursuit of terrorists in the context of joint border patrols and cooperation in order to deny them sanctuaries and make it impossible for them to take refuge in each other’s territory. I note with satisfaction that some mechanisms for joint border patrols including customs and immigration administration have commenced. 22. But we need to do more to restore security along our common borders, focussing especially on the actualisation of the mandate of the Multinational Task Force on the Lake Chad Basin.
Posted on: Sat, 17 May 2014 18:13:13 +0000
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