Switzerland denies funding fight against Boko Haram

Switzerland on Wednesday denied having helped finance the fight against the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram as was announced at a donors' conference that took place this week at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa.

"As a neutral actor in conflict situations, Switzerland has never granted financial support to any military intervention, as it will refrain from doing so in the future," said a statement from the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Berne response to statements by the Commissioner for Peace and Security of the AU Smail Chergui after the conference to the effect that "four million Swiss francs (3.6 million euros) of the Swiss delegation" was part of 250 million dollars pledged by the international community to fund the Joint Multinational Force (JMF) that fight against Boko Haram in the Lake Chad basin.

"The actions of Switzerland in the Lake Chad region consist solely and exclusively in financial support to major humanitarian agencies," reads the Swiss official statement. It states that "Switzerland has committed nearly $ 12 million to alleviate the suffering of victims of the crisis linked to populations.