Obama, Buhari meet July 20 to discuss B’Haram

The United States President, Barack Obama, will host
President Muhammadu Buhari at the White House on
July 20 to discuss how to fight the Boko Haram
militant group, among other issues, the White House
said on Thursday.
“The visit will underscore the United States’
commitment to strengthening and expanding our
partnership with Nigeria’s new government,” the White
House said in a statement.
During the visit, Obama will discuss “a holistic, regional
approach to combating Boko Haram” with President
Buhari, who has led Africa’s biggest economy and most
populous country since being elected in March.
During the visit, advancing economic and political
reforms in Nigeria will also be discussed between senior
government advisers from both countries, the White
House said.
Obama and other leaders met with Buhari at the G7
Summit earlier this month where they discussed efforts
at combating Islamist militants.
US officials have also said the US could send more
advisers to Nigeria to train its military and it could help
boost the nation’s economy through more investment
in its oil and gas sector.
Meanwhile, President Buhari on Thursday insisted that
regional and international cooperation was needed to
ensure victory over terrorism in Nigeria and other
countries.
According to a statement by his Special Adviser on
Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President
said this during a meeting he had with the President of
the Economic Community of West African States
Commission, Mr. Kadre Ouedraogo, at the Presidential
Villa, Abuja.
Buhari was further quoted as welcoming efforts aimed
at strengthening cooperation between ECOWAS and the
Economic Community of Central African States on the
war against terrorism.
He assured Ouedraogo that Nigeria would hold further
consultations with other stakeholders to agree on a new
date for the ECOWAS-ECCAS security summit on Boko
Haram, earlier scheduled to hold in Malabo, Equatorial
Guinea, on April 8, 2015.
The summit was postponed because of the general
elections in Nigeria on March 28 and April 11, 2015.
The statement added, “President Buhari also assured
Mr. Ouedraogo that Nigeria will continue to fulfill its
financial obligations to ECOWAS to enhance the
regional body’s ability to attain its objective of regional
integration and development.
“The President commended the ECOWAS Commission
and other ECOWAS institutions for progress made on
the Biometric Identity Card system, which will come
into force in 2016, saying that its introduction will be a
major milestone to full regional integration and the free
movement of ECOWAS citizens within the sub-region.”
Also, the US has condemned the latest Boko Haram
attacks in Borno State which resulted in the death of
more than 40 people.
According to the US, the recent attacks are a reminder
of the terrorist group’s capability to wreak major
havocs.
In a statement issued in Washington by the US
Department of State’s spokesman, John Kirby, the US
called on the Federal Government to hold those
responsible for the attacks accountable.
“We offer our deepest sympathy and condolences to the
families and friends of the victims of recent attacks in
Borno State — attacks that resulted in more than 40
deaths. We condemn in the strongest terms the
continued and widespread violence inflicted by Boko
Haram on innocent men, women and children in Nigeria.
Those responsible must be held accountable.
“These latest attacks serve as a reminder that despite
progress on the battlefield, Boko Haram remains
capable of deadly and destabilizing acts of terrorism.
We commend the efforts by the Nigerian military, as
well as the militaries of Chad, Niger and Cameroon for
the gains they have made fighting Boko Haram,” Kirby
stated.