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Boko Haram Crisis: African Union Backs Regional Force of 7,500 Troops

Published

9 years ago

January 30, 2015

Kyle Yeldell

This Friday Oct. 31, 2014 image taken from video by Nigeria's Boko Haram terrorist network, the leader of Nigeria's Islamic extremist group Boko Haram, center, has denied agreeing to any cease-fire with the government and said Friday more than 200 kidnapped schoolgirls all have converted to Islam and been married off. (AP Photo)

This Friday Oct. 31, 2014 image was taken from video by Nigeria’s Boko Haram terrorist network. (AP Photo)

(BBC) – AU commission chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said the threat posed by the Islamist group required a “collective, effective and decisive response”.

Boko Haram has seized control of a swathe of north-east Nigeria and killed thousands in a six-year insurgency.

Four of Nigeria’s neighbours – Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger – have agreed to contribute troops to the task force.

Speaking after AU talks in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, Ms Dlamini-Zuma said the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF) would have an initial mandate of one year.

She said it would conduct “military operations to prevent the expansion of Boko Haram and other terrorist groups’ activities and eliminate their presence”.

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