FRANCE: President Francois Hollande hosts Paris summit gathering West African leaders and British and American government representatives to improve cooperation in their fight against the Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram

Record ID: 645092

  • Title: FRANCE: President Francois Hollande hosts Paris summit gathering West African leaders and British and American government representatives to improve cooperation in their fight against the Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram
  • Date: 17th May 2014
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (MAY 17, 2014) (AGENCY POOL) FRENCH PRESIDENT FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY WILLIAM HAGUE, FRENCH DEFENCE MINISTER JEAN-YVES LE DRIAN, U.S. UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE WENDY SHERMAN SEATED AT TABLE / WEST AFRICAN LEADERS STANDING NIGERIAN PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN TALKING TALKING TO CAMEROON PRESIDENT PAUL BIYA VARIOUS OF MEETING IN PROGRESS
  • Embargoed: 1st June 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA3CHDHG3SZOFYRS0AVEQ20WX6M
  • Story Text: West African leaders met in Paris (May 17) on Saturday to try to improve cooperation in their fight against the Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram, which has kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls and threatens to destabilise the wider region.
    Hosted by French President Francois Hollande, the meeting also gathered British Foreign Secretary William Hague, U.S. Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy.
    Outrage over the kidnapping has already prompted Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, criticised at home for his government's slow response, to accept U.S., British and French intelligence help in the hunt for the girls.
    French diplomats ruled out any Western military operation but said they expected a regional plan to take shape for countering Boko Haram, which has killed more than 3,000 people in a five-year campaign to establish an Islamic state in mostly Muslim northeast Nigeria.
    With about 6,000 troops operating in either Mali to the northwest or the Central African Republic to the east, Paris has a major interest in preventing Nigeria's security deteriorating, fearing that Boko Haram could spread north into the Sahel, and beyond Cameroon into the Central African Republic.
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