SAN FRANCISCO, June 12, (THEWILL) – Nigeria is to lead the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNTF) on insurgency of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) till the end of the operation. Cameroon would however provide the deputy Commander for the Force for 12 months.
This is one of the resolutions made after the meeting of the Commission, hosted in Abuja on Thursday by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Nigeria had specifically requested for the leadership of the MNJTF and promised to fund its operations to the tune of $100 million.
Present at the meeting which held at the Presidential Lounge of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Abuja were: Issoufou Mahamadu, President of the Republic of Niger; Idriss Deby Itno, President of the Republic of Chad; Boni Yayi, President of the Republic of Benin ; Paul Biya President of the Republic of Cameroun who was represented by Mebe Ngo’o Edgard Alain, Minister of Defence, Republic of Cameroun; the Honourable Ministers of Defence of Niger, Chad, Benin,as well as the Executive Secretary of the Lake Chad Basin Commission & Benin Engr Sanusi Imran Abdullahi.
Deliberations at the extraordinary summit focused on ‘The Security Situation in the Lake Chad Basin, the Immediate Operationalisation of the Multinational Joint Task Force and the Adoption of Emergency Development Plan.’ The deliberations were preceded by a preparatory meeting of the Ministers of Defence, the Chiefs of Defence Staff and Heads of Security and Intelligence Services of the LCBC member States and Benin.
In the course of their deliberation, the Heads of State and Government of LCBC and Benin Republic acknowledged with satisfaction the success recorded on military operations jointly conducted in the field by the coalition of the troops from Cameroun, Niger, Nigeria and Chad which have significantly broken down military capability of Boko Haram terrorist group.
However, they agreed on the need to keep on this drive marked by solidarity in action by taking decisive measures in order to totally curb Boko Haram insurgency.
The Heads of State and Government of LCBC and Benin further agreed on the need to support military operations with an emergency development plan in favour of vulnerable populations in the region in order to fight against the root causes of insecurity relating to poverty.
At the end of their deliberations, the Heads of State and Government of LCBC and Benin Republic took the following decisions:
Approved the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) Strategic and Operational and related documents of the MNJTF for the fight against Boko Haram terrorist group.
Approved the immediate deployment of the MNJTF HQ at N’Djamena (Chad) by implementing its human, logistic and financial requirements;
Approved the deployment of the national contingents to the MNJTF under the operational command of the MNJTF Commander assisted by his Joint Headquarters by 30th July 2015.
Approved the funding of the sum of Thirty Million Dollars ($30,000.000) USD for the installation and equipping of the MNJTF HQ.
Approved the establishment of the Executive Secretariat as the Headquarters of the Mission and the Executive Secretary of LCBC being the Head of Mission.
Approved the nomination of the three key post of responsibility of the MNJTF HQs as follows:
Force Commander: Nigeria (Until the end of the mission)
Deputy Force Commander: Cameroun (Rotational every 12 Months)
Chief of Staff: Tchad (Rotational every 12 months)
Requests the African Union’s support to the MNJTF in its operations, logistics and general mission support by mobilizing financial support.
Resolved to seek the support of strategic partners, notably European Union, France, United Kingdom and United States of America in favour of the MNJTF. Requests the President of the UN Security Council to make a declarative statement in support of MNJTF Operations against the Boko Haram terrorist group. Adopted the Emergency Plan for Development in the Lake Chad Basin.
At the end of their deliberations which were conducted amid a warm and brotherly atmosphere, the Heads of State and Government of LCBC and Benin Republic conveyed to their Brother, Issoufou Mahamadou, President of the Republic of Niger and Current Chairman of the LCBC Summit, heartfelt gratitude for calling this important Summit; they also conveyed to President Buhari profound appreciation for hosting the Summit and requested him to transmit to the Government and good people of Nigeria, their deep gratitude for the warm welcome and hospitality accorded to them and their delegations.
