African leaders to create multinational force to tackle militancy

Africa, News January 17, 2015 , by IRIA No Comments

West African leaders are mulling to create a multinational force in order to fight the growing militancy across the troubled region.

Ghanaian President John Mahama said on Friday that the leaders would seek authority next week from the African Union (AU) to create such a strong force to confront Boko Haram and other Takfiri militants currently operating in the region.

However, he noted that it could take months to resolve issues surrounding the process of establishing such a regional force.

President Mahama made the remarks as his country holds the chairmanship of the West African regional bloc, known as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Elsewhere in his remarks, the president pointed out that Boko Haram in Nigeria and other militant groups in Somalia, Kenya, Mali, and elsewhere were posing a wide risk to the regional security.

“Terrorism is like a cancer and if we don’t deal with it, it will keep going. It threatens everybody in the sub region. When it comes to terrorism, nobody is too far or too near,” he said, adding, “Nigeria is taking military action and Cameroon is fighting Boko Haram, but I think we are increasingly getting to the point where probably a regional or a multinational force is coming into consideration.”

Boko Haram terrorist group has claimed responsibility for numerous deadly shooting attacks and bombings in various parts of Nigeria, which have claimed the lives of thousands of people since 2009.

According to the Washington-based Council on Foreign Relations, the violence, which has forced 1.5 million people to flee their homes, killed over 10,000 people last year alone.

JR/AS/MHB