The European Union (EU) Commissioner for
Crisis Management, Mr. Janez Lenarcic, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari
to apply international law and international humanitarian law in dealing with
Boko Haram.
Lenarcic said
‘military effort alone would probably not be sufficient’ in tackling Boko Haram
in the country.
“We would like to support your efforts. We
believe all relevant actors; military, civilian as well as humanitarian should
come together. The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs is suggesting such high
level dialogue. “In situations such as what we have in the northeast,
international law and international humanitarian law should apply. We believe
in your efforts to end the conflict; military effort alone probably will not be
sufficient without identifying and addressing the socio-economic factors
causing it,” he stated.
Disclosing this in a statement signed by Buhari’s
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, EU Commissioner
emphasized that Nigeria plays a big role on the African continent and globally
in economic, social and other spheres and asked for the development of a plan
between the EU and Nigeria concerning the issues in the Northeast. He said he
had visited Borno State and appreciates government’s efforts to end the
conflict there.
Buhari had insisted that his administration has defeated Boko Haram technically. In February 6, 2016, Buhari was asked whether it was fair to say a group which killed over 65 persons in a single attack had been “technically defeated,” the President responded thus: “Well, that’s your own description of it. My own description is that they can no longer mobilise enough forces to attack police and army barracks and destroy aircraft like they used to do. They can no longer do that.
“All I know is that out of the 14 local government areas in Borno State where they (Boko Haram) used to hold and hoist their flag, they are nowhere in charge of any of them again. But they can still regroup and go after attacking soft targets,” he said.
However, on Friday, January 24, 2020, Buhari wondered why people think his administration cannot defeat Boko Haram. He told Janez Lenarcic that if Nigeria after 30-months of civil war was able to unite and reorganized itself, Boko Haram will soon be dealt with.
Boko Haram is
responsible for the killings of over 17,000 Nigerians, particularly in the
North-East.