Cameroonian forces free German kidnapped in Nigeria by Boko Haram last July CAMEROONIAN military forces have freed aGerman hostage kidnapped six months ago in Nigeria by Boko Haram and whiskedacross the border as international cooperation against the terrorist sect gathers pace.In a well orchestrated operation yesterday, Cameroonian armed forces succeeded in freeing Nitsch Eberhard Robert, a German citizen abducted in Nigeria in July 2014. Germanys foreign ministry has confirmed the man’s release, adding that he is now inCameroon’s capital Yaounde.Following the news of the German’s rescue, the African Union announced it hasasked the United Nations Security Council to approve a mandate for a regional force and a fund to finance it. This became necessary after Boko Haram’s leader Sheikh Abubakar Shekau mocked African presidents who were meeting in Niger to try to forge a united front against the Islamists.In his latest Youtube video, Sheikh Shekausaid: “African kings, I challenge you to attack me now. I am ready.”Nigeria’s army has come under fire repeatedly for failing to crush the militants,whose insurgency has left 13,000 people dead and forced 1.5m from their homes. Yesterday, Niger said the headquarters of the regional African force set up to fight Boko Haram will now be transferred to Chad after its base in the Nigerian border town of Baga was overrun earlier this month by the Islamist militants.Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the chairpersonof the African Union, said: “Boko Haram is a threat not only to Nigeria and the region but also to the continent as a whole.Chad is seen as having the most capable military in the region and at the weekend sent a convoy of troops and 400 military vehicles into neighbouring Cameroon to battle Boko Haram. Two Cameroonian soldiers were wounded in heavy clashes on Tuesday with Boko Haram in the far north of the country near the border with Nigeria.Regional efforts to fight Boko Haram have been hampered by Nigeria’s reticence, with Abuja looking suspiciously on any foreign military intervention on its soil. Anger against the militants is growing in Cameroon, with protesters marching in thestreets of the capital Yaounde, asking the government to take action.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 10:58:28 +0000