Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari will de- part Abuja today for N’Djamena to participate in the Extraordinary Session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD).
Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, confirmed the movement in a statement in Abuja on yesterday.
Garba said Buhari and other regional leaders would join their host and current chair- person of CEN-SAD Conference, President Idriss Deby Itno, to deliberate on political and security issues, among others.
The presidential aide said the regional leaders would also deliberate on state of peace and ways to address multifaceted threats in CEN-SAD area, especially Boko Haram and refugees. He said that the leaders would make a declaration on the entry into force of CEN-SAD revised Treaty intended to fast-track the realisation of the objectives of the body.
“During the opening session of the conference, special awards will be given to heads of state and military contingents in Mali, Sudan, Somalia, Central African Republic and in the Lake Chad Basin,’’ Garba further explained.