Nigerian president Buhari plans to visit Cameroon

Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari revealed to AFP on Monday of having the intention of going to Cameroon to enhance regional military cooperation against the Islamist group Boko Haram.

"On my return to Nigeria, I will try to travel to Cameroon," he said to AFP on the sidelines of the Summit of the African Union (AU in Johannesburg).

Mr. Buhari met his counterparts from Chad, Niger and Benin on 11 June at a Summit in Abuja, but in the absence of the Cameroonian president Paul Biya, represented by his defence Minister.

Mr. Buhari went to Niger and Chad after his inauguration and had indicated that if he did not have to go to Germany to attend the G7 Summit, he would have continued his regional tour to Cameroon.

"Boko Haram is said to be allied with the Islamic State (EI), and it has now become terrorism at international level. They are in Mali, they are in Nigeria, they are in Syria, they are in Iraq, they are in Yemen... It is now an international problem" he said.

Nigeria and Cameroon have a long-standing difficult relationship, especially after a territorial dispute around the Bakassi peninsula, rich in oil.

Tension mounted several times between Abuja and Yaounde around the Boko Haram issue, while the Islamist group has increased attacks in the far north of Cameroon, nearby in northeastern Nigeria, epicenter of the Islamist insurgency.

Last month, Niger and Chad have repeatedly sent soldiers on Nigerian territory, but this is not the case with Cameroon, which merely fights Boko Haram on its own territory.

At the Abuja Summit, it was agreed for the deployment of a regional force of 8,700 men, comprising Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin. The elements of this new joint multinational Force will not be restricted in terms of displacement.

The force which must be deployed from July 30, will be led by a Nigerian with a Cameroonian Deputy for an initial 12-month mission.