Foreign Secretary announces Nigeria ministerial meeting in London
6 Jun 2014 11:41 AM
Nigerian Foreign
Minister to attend meeting with neighbouring countries in London on 12 June to
discuss tackling Boko Haram.
The Foreign Secretary William
Hague will host the London Ministerial on Security in Northern Nigeria on 12
June in the margins of the World Summit on Ending Sexual Violence in Conflict.
This will bring together Nigeria, represented by its Foreign Minister, its
neighbours Benin, Chad, Cameroon and Niger with the UK, US, France, Canada and
the EU to continue the coordination necessary to defeat Boko Haram. It follows
the Paris summit on Boko Haram on 17 May. As well as taking forward agreements
made in Paris, the meeting will consider what can be more done both to improve
regional coordination, and on economic and social development to counter the
threat of Boko Haram.
The Foreign Secretary
said:
Since the appalling abductions
of over 200 school girls in Chibok by Boko Haram, the international community
has worked together closely to support Nigeria in the fight against
terrorism.
We have already reached
agreements on intelligence sharing; coordinated border patrols; developing a
regional Counter Terrorism strategy; and wider action, including supporting the
victims of sexual violence and the empowerment of women and girls. This
coordinated action has sent a powerful message of intent.
The London Ministerial on
Security in Northern Nigeria will build on these agreements and consider
further options to combat terrorism in Northern Nigeria. This shows the
determination of those in the region, with the support of the international
community, to defeat Boko Haram. We continue to work through our close
international coordination on the ground in Nigeria to help secure the release
of the abducted school girls.
It is appropriate that this
meeting is taking place within the Summit I’m hosting on Ending Sexual
Violence in Conflict. The appalling abduction of the Nigerian school girls
underlines the dreadful risk posed to women and girls in conflict and why we
are mobilising the world to tackle sexual violence in
conflict.
The Prime Minister said at a
joint press conference with Barack Obama at the G7 meeting in
Brussels:
In the longer term, we stand
ready to provide more practical assistance to help the Nigerians and the region
to strengthen their defence and security institutions and to develop the
expertise needed to counter these barbaric extremists.
Further
information
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