BENIN-BOKO HARAM THREAT Benin to send 800 troops to fight Boko Haram

Record ID: 145223

  • Title: BENIN-BOKO HARAM THREAT Benin to send 800 troops to fight Boko Haram
  • Date: 4th August 2015
  • Summary: **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** VARIOUS OF BUHARI AND YAYI AT A NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) THOMAS BONI YAYI, BENIN PRESIDENT SAYING: "It's a question of co-ordination, Benin has to join its brothers on the front-line. All we are waiting for is the final decision to be made, so that we can all start working together. We are convinced that Boko Haram w
  • Embargoed: 19th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Benin
  • Country: Benin
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAAHWYE0S91260X9KYI2HPF2DGS
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Benin is the latest country to announce its contribution of troops to a regional multinational task force fighting against Boko Haram.
    The West African nation's president Thomas Boni Yayi vowed that his country would send a contingent of 800 men from Benin's army.
    Benin would become the fifth country to join the force, which already consists of Chad, Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon.
    The task force is one of the collective efforts that the region is putting up in the war against Boko Haram.
    Yayi was speaking at a joint news conference with Nigeria's president Muhammadu Buhari.
    "It's a question of co-ordination, Benin has to join its brothers on the front-line. All we are waiting for is the final decision to be made, so that we can all start working together. We are convinced that Boko Haram will be defeated," Yayi said.
    Boko Haram has widened its attacks in West Africa, including in Cameroon and Niger.
    In Benin there are mixed feelings about Yayi's decision to involve the country in the fight against Islamist group.
    "I am really scared. I am not scared for my brothers in uniform from Benin, but I am scared for Benin, because this may awaken the sleeping cat," said one resident, Patrice Atcheke.
    "I am not afraid of Boko Haram because these are people who believe in creating chaos and panic. These people who believe that they can impose themselves through violence. We must fight against this terrorist organisation, which is getting bigger and bigger by the day," added another Cotonou resident, Jean Marie Gnadadja.
    Yayi's announcement comes after the Nigerian militant group launched a wave of attacks in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger that have killed hundreds of people in the past two months.
    The attacks follow a four-month military campaign by Nigeria, Chad and Niger that drove Boko Haram out of the towns of northeast Nigeria.
    The 8,700-strong task force of five nations near Lake Chad - Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin - was due to start operations from July 31, but has been dogged by questions of funding, co-ordination and political will.
    Some observers say little can be expected in terms of military activity before the end of the rainy season in September or October.
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