Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
The United Nations (UN) has said it is seeking practical approaches to address the violence in the Lake Chad Basin area and ensure stability of the region.
The UN, through its Development Programme (UNDP) in Maiduguri, yesterday, at a joint Press Conference with Borno State Government, said it is organising two days international forum of governors from the Lake Chad Basin Region, in Maiduguri, Borno State capital.
“International concern on addressing the regional dimension of the insurgency is growing. The UN Security Council Resolution 2349 (2017) on Boko Haram and Lake Chad Basin was adopted by the security council, at its 7911th meeting of March 2017, following the visit to the Lake Chad Regions,” UNDP Communication Analyst, Enoh Jonathan, said at the press conference.
She said the resolution of the UN Security Council gave birth to the formation of the Lake Chad Governors’ Forum, which involves governors of three northeast States of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, affected by insurgency. Other members, according to Jonathan, include governors of regions in Chad, Niger and Cameroon. “The forum will hold on May 8 and 9, 2018,” she disclosed.
She said the forum is expected to come out with a “bottom-up approach” that would bridge the gap between local and international efforts to stabilise the Lake Chad Basin, including development of stabilisation strategy for the area.
“It is also expected to promote cross-border cooperation around stabilisation, peace building and conflict prevention at the sub-national level,” she disclosed.
Nigeria’s President Mohammadu Buhari, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Ibn Chambers, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Africa (UNOCA), Francois Lounceny Fall and Amb. Zainab Nyiramatama, Special Representative of the African Union (SRCC), will attend the forum, UNDP said.
Borno State Government said it is collaborating with the UN to host the event. Commissioner of information, Mohammed Bulama, represented by a special adviser to the governor on information, Tukur Mshelia, said 40 million people across Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Niger and African Central Republic who depend on the Lake for survival are at risk. He called for support to the region.