NIGERIA: French President Francois Hollande offers support to fight against Islamists

Record ID: 236341

  • Title: NIGERIA: French President Francois Hollande offers support to fight against Islamists
  • Date: 28th February 2014
  • Summary: ABUJA, NIGERIA (FEBRUARY 27, 2014) (REUTERS) CONFERENCE HALL SCREEN READING (English): "1914-2014, NIGERIA CENTENARY, 100 YEARS, ONE NIGERIA: GREAT PROMISE" DIGNITARIES SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, SAYING: "I assure you Mr President your fight (struggle) is ours and we will be always ready to give you our political support and our help whenever it is necessary because the fight against terrorism its also the fight for democracy." DIGNITARY LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, SAYING: "Africa has got a great future, it is tomorrow's continent. This is the place where big infrastructures will be built, where new energy sources will be deployed , where new needs for the world will be defined. A continent full of promises that can be impeded by the lack of stability and security." FLORAL ARRANGEMENT IN CENTRE OF CONFERENCE HALL HOLLANDE AND NIGERIAN PRESIDENT, GOODLUCK JONATHAN, SHAKING HANDS
  • Embargoed: 15th March 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVACEBMQ3Z9ATFZEW5ACG7TG4DAQ
  • Story Text: French President Francois Hollande on Thursday (February 27) said Nigeria's fight against the Boko Haram Islamists was also France's "fight."
    Hollande made the statement at a security conference in the capital Abuja marking Nigeria's centenary celebrations led by President Goodluck Jonathan.
    But the celeberations were marred by stepped up attacks by Boko Haram.
    Boko Haram, whose fight for an Islamic state in northern Nigeria has killed thousands and made them the biggest threat to security in Africa's top oil producer, is increasingly preying on the civilian population.
    "I assure you Mr President your fight (struggle) is ours and we will be always ready to give you our political support and our help whenever it is necessary because the fight against terrorism its also the fight for democracy," said Hollande during the conference which was also attended by EU's Jose Manuel Barroso.
    Western governments are concerned about Nigerian groups like Boko Haram linking up with al Qaeda-linked cells in other countries in the Sahel region, like Mali, where France sent troops a year ago to oust Islamist militants.
    "Africa has got a great future, it is tomorrow's continent. This is the place where big infrastructures will be built, where new energy sources will be deployed , where new needs for the world will be defined. A continent full of promises that can be impeded by the lack of stability and security," Hollande added, without giving details on what help was on offer.
    Witnesses said on Thursday that Boko Haram gunmen shot dead at least 12 people during a four-hour siege on villages in northeast Nigeria overnight, two days after a deadly attack on a school.
    Jonathan's troops are struggling to stem Boko Haram's insurgency, although they have restricted attacks mainly to the country's remote northeast corner in recent months, far away from commercial capitals and southern oil fields.
    Militants from Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is sinful" in the northern Hausa language, have frequently attacked schools in the past. A similar attack in June in the nearby village of Mamudo left 22 students dead.
    They have killed more than 300 people this month, mostly civilians, including in two attacks last week that killed around 100 each, one in which militants razed a whole village and shot panicked residents as they tried to flee.
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