CMR, NGA et al. foreign ministers meet in Abuja over B. Haram

Foreign ministers of Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad, Benin Republic and Niger will meet in Abuja today to agree on appropriate legal framework for cross border military operations against Boko Haram insurgency in the region.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday in Abuja said that the one-day meeting would be attended by the Defence ministers of the five neighbouring countries.

It said the meeting would agree on the adoption of a draft resolution by the Africa Union and the UN Security Council for the establishment of appropriate legal framework for military operations to fight Boko Haram.

The meeting, which is being held under the auspices of Lake Chad Basin Commission and Benin Republic, is a follow-up to the extra-ordinary summit held on October 7, in Niamey, Niger.

The summit, which was attended by President Goodluck Jonathan and three heads of state, had announced plans to deploy coordinated military forces to fight Boko Haram terrorists.

The leaders agreed to deploy an additional battalion and a command centre to tackle the terrorists.

They agreed that the command centre for an already agreed-upon multinational force, led by a Chief of staff, would be in place by November 20.

It would be recalled that a similar meeting took place on September 3, in Abuja where the foreign ministers promised to improve cooperation in the fight against Boko Haram.