- Title: UN-NIGERIA/BAN KI-MOON BUHARI UN chief says to support Nigeria counter terrorism
- Date: 24th August 2015
- Summary: ABUJA, NIGERIA (AUGUST 24, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL BAN KI-MOON'S MOTORCADE ARRIVING AT PRESIDENTIAL VILLA IN ABUJA BAN DISEMBARKING AND BEING GREETED BY NIGERIAN PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI BAN AND BUHARI IN TALKS VARIOUS OF BAN AND BUHARI WALKING TOWARDS JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL, BAN KI-MOON, SAYING: "This week, ladies and gentlemen will witness the 500th day of the kidnapping of the Chibok school girls. I want to reiterate my support for the Chibok girls and so many other innocent abducted girls and boys whose names and fate remain unknown. It is intolerable that their lives and schooling has been disrupted this way, the whole world has been moved by their fate. I once again call in the strongest possible terms on those responsible to unconditionally release these girls and many other abducted children." (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL, BAN KI-MOON, SAYING: "The humanitarian situation in the north east is particularly worrying we are working with partners on the ground to scale up humanitarian operations. I congratulated President Buhari on the efforts to protect and uphold the rights of displaced persons." (SOUNDBITE) (English) NIGERIAN PRESIDENT, MUHAMMADU BUHARI, SAYING: "We have discussed with him the difficult time Nigeria finds itself (in). The destruction of infrastructure especially in the northeast, the rehabilitation of infrastructure and the over 1.5 million internally displaced persons that have to be morally, physical and materially and the efforts we think that the United Nations secretary general can convey to the United Nations so that Nigeria can be helped in the identified programs." BAN AND BUHARI HANDSHAKE
- Embargoed: 8th September 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Nigeria
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA48BJHROLE0FL9MP2T168UT51I
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on Monday (August 24) voiced concerns at the level of violence unleashed by Islamist Boko Haram and pledged to support Nigeria's counter terrorism operation and to strengthen democracy in Africa's most populous nation.
Ban said the United Nations will work with Nigeria to counter terror and reiterated calls for the unconditional release of over 200 Chibok school girls abducted by Boko Haram 500 days ago, which sparked a global outcry.
"This week, ladies and gentlemen will witness the 500th day of the kidnapping of the Chibok school girls. I want to reiterate my support for the Chibok girls and so many other innocent abducted girls and boys whose names and fate remain unknown. It is intolerable that their lives and schooling has been disrupted this way, the whole world has been moved by their fate. I once again call in the strongest possible terms on those responsible to unconditionally release these girls and many other abducted children," said Ban.
Ban's visit to Nigeria comes after peaceful presidential elections this year which led to a historic power shift in Africa's biggest economy. In March, Muhammadu Buhari ousted an incumbent president democratically for the first time in Nigeria, Africa's biggest economy.
Ban also commemorated the fourth anniversary of the bombing of the United Nations' headquarters building in Abuja, which killed 18 people, in an attack claimed by Boko Haram.
Boko Haram has waged a deadly six-year campaign to carve out an Islamic caliphate in Nigeria's northeast. After being pushed out of most of the territory they gained earlier this year, the group scattered and returned to attacking soft targets.
"The humanitarian situation in the north east is particularly worrying we are working with partners on the ground to scale up humanitarian operations. I congratulated President Buhari on the efforts to protect and uphold the rights of displaced persons," said Ban.
The U.N. says 1.4 million people have been forced to flee their homes in northeast Nigeria, the birthplace of the Islamist group and a frequent target of raids and suicide bombers.
Hundreds of thousands of displaced people currently live in Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria's Borno state. Many are supported by local communities, while around 80,000 are gathered in 15 camps around the city.
"We have discussed with him the difficult time Nigeria finds itself (in). The destruction of infrastructure especially in the northeast, the rehabilitation of infrastructure and the over 1.5 million internally displaced persons that have to be morally, physical and materially and the efforts we think that the United Nations secretary general can convey to the United Nations so that Nigeria can be helped in the identified programs," said President Buhari.
President Buhari won closely fought elections promising to fight corruption, unemployment and the Boko Haram insurgency. The militants have killed over 600 since his inauguration. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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