FRANCE: West African leaders meet in Paris to try to improve cooperation in their fight against the Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram

Record ID: 645163

  • Title: FRANCE: West African leaders meet in Paris to try 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) VARIOUS OF LEADERS, INCLUDING FRENCH PRESIDENT FRANCOIS HOLLANDE AND NIGERIAN PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN, POSING FOR GROUP PHOTOGRAPH VARIOUS OF LEADERS SEATED AROUND TABLE
  • Embargoed: 1st June 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAAIF2LMKKOXRNN6JWN9G6WP25L
  • Story Text: West African leaders met in Paris on Saturday (May 17) 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.
    Along with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, French President Francois Hollande and British Foreign Minister William Hague, the meeting was attended by heads of state from Cameroon, Niger, Chad and Benin.
    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.
    With Nigeria's large and well-funded army seemingly unable to quell the threat from Boko Haram, many fear that impoverished Niger and an increasing lawless northern Cameroon could struggle to deal with a serious attack.
    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.
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