Nigeria: Benin to contribute additional 550 troops to anti-Boko Haram campaign

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - To show his commitment to the war against Boko Haram, President Thomas Boni Yayi of Benin has indicated that his country will contribute 550 more troops to the Miultinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) fighting insurgency in north eastern Nigeria.

The pro-government newspaper, the NATION, reported that the new pledge of 550 brings to 800 the number of troops promised earlier in the year.

The MNJTF is a regional force comprising troops from countries in the Lake Chad Basin, including Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon. Its mandate is to combat the Nigeria-based extremist Boko Haram sect.

President Yayi made the announcement on Saturday during a one-day visit by President Muhammadu Buhari to Benin.

Deployment of the regional force has been delayed for lack of funds.

At a meeting in Cameroon in February, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger agreed to deploy around 8,700 troops, with Benin pledging 250.

The six-year-old uprising has killed thousands of people and dislodged millions from their homes. It assumed a regional dimension this year with regular attacks in Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad.

President Buhari also visited Cameroon on Wednesday in a bid to bolster support for the regional force. The President’s trip to Cameroon completed his consultations with leaders of the Lake Chad Basin nations.
-0- PANA VAO 3Aug2015