NIGERIA-VIOLENCE/CHAD-FABIUS French FM flies in to support regional African offensive against Boko Haram

Record ID: 237178

  • Title: NIGERIA-VIOLENCE/CHAD-FABIUS French FM flies in to support regional African offensive against Boko Haram
  • Date: 21st February 2015
  • Summary: N'DJAMENA, CHAD (FEBRUARY 21, 2015) (REUTERS) **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** CAR PULLING UP TO PRESIDENTIAL PALACE VARIOUS FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER LAURENT FABIUS ARRIVING AT PRESIDENTIAL PALACE FABIUS SITTING WITH CHADIAN PRESIDENT IDRISS DEBY VARIOUS OF FABIUS AND DEBY SHAKING HANDS (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER, LAURENT FABIUS, SAYING: "Ever
  • Embargoed: 8th March 2015 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Chad
  • Country: Chad
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAVPBT865IZP6HAZRXMMBOP9TY
  • Story Text: PLEASE NOTE: QUALITY AS INCOMING
    French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius began a regional tour of countries bordering Lake Chad on Saturday (February 21), where Nigeria's fight against Boko
    Haram has spilled across borders.
    His visit comes as Niger, Chad and Cameroon seek to pin down the Islamist group in the northeast corner of Nigeria ahead of a ground-and-air-offensive by a regional task force, due to start from the end of next month.
    Fabius met Chadian President Idriss Deby at his presidential palace in the capital N'Djamena on Saturday, and vowed to help Chad remain economically stable as it continues its costly battle against Boko Haram.
    "Everything Chad is doing for stability comes with a price so it's logical that the international community, whether it's Europe or the United Nations, the IMF or the World Bank, will support Chad which deserves it. So we, France, will help ensure Chad's economic balance. There will soon be meetings at the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank," Fabius said.
    "Our approach is first African initiatives, then international support, and France, who is a traditional friend of Africa, will be part of this international support," he added.
    Fabius was due, in Chad and later in Cameron and Niger, to offer France's "resolute commitment to the fight against terrorism and in particular the establishment, together with Nigeria, of an African force to combat Boko Haram", a statement from the French foreign ministry said in advance of his visit.
    The Islamist group, which has killed thousands of people in a six-year insurgency in Nigeria, has fought fierce battles with the three countries' armies in southern Niger and northern Cameroon, near Nigeria's borders, in recent weeks.
    Chadian forces have made incursions into Nigeria to push back the jihadist fighters, hundreds of whom have been killed.
    Military chiefs will meet in N'Djamena this week to finalise strategy for the 8,700-strong task-force of troops from Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin and Niger ahead of an expected offensive next month.
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