Chadian troops to help Nigeria, Cameroun fight Boko Haram

CHADIAN parliamentarians have authorised the government to send troops to fight against Nigeria’s Islamist sect, Boko Haram, alongside Camerounian and Nigerian soldiers.

Parliament, which had been on a break since Dec. 31, 2014, was recalled for an extraordinary session to give the government authorisation to send the troops.

The decision came after Thursday’s visit to N’Djamena by a strong Camerounian delegation, led by Defense Minister, Alain Ngo’o, as well as an envoy of Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan.

Cameroun’s President Paul Biya hailed the gesture of solidarity from Chad, noting that the move would guarantee stability, peace and security for the concerned countries and their people.

On Wednesday, Chad proposed “active support” for Cameroun to fight Boko Haram.

It urged the international community to support Cameroon and all other countries within the Lake Chad Basin, to check the threat of the sect.

In recent months, Boko Haram has been carrying out deadly attacks in northern Nigeria, forcing many people to flee and take refuge on Chadian territory.

Chad has so far not been attacked by the sect, but the country’s authorities have been forced to act early due to its closeness to Cameroon’s extreme-northern region that separates N’Djamena from Nigeria’s Borno state, Boko Haram’s stronghold. (Xinhua/NAN)