Cameroon kills 40 Boko Haram militants
Cameroon’s military according to the government’s radio has killed at least 40 Boko Haram militants in the country’s northwest at the weekend. This happened a day after Nigeria labelled the Central African nation the weakest link in its fight against the extremist sect.
The clashes the radio reported leading to the killing occurred in the town of Kouserri, which borders Nigeria and Chad.
After a security summit in Paris two weeks ago, Cameroon said it deployed 1,000 troops to its border to help contain the increasingly deadly group.
But Sarkin-Yaki Bello, the Coordinator-General of Nigeria’s Counter Terrorism Centre, as quoted by Reuters news agency, Saturday, was said to be criticising Cameroon’s effort in rooting Boko Haram.
“Niger has been proactive and aggressive, Chad has shown zero tolerance for Boko Haram.
“Cameroon, we’ve engaged them to be more pro-active. They haven’t really. Not yet.” Sarkin-Bello said.
One Cameroonian official denied the allegation, while second blamed funding for the country’s slow response.
Under a pact reached at the Paris summit, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin- all Nigeria’s neighbours, are to step up their action against Boko Haram by maintaining an intelligence sharing platform, improving border patrols, and coordinating their actions.
Currently, as reported, Niger allows Nigerian soldiers cross into its borders to pursue Boko Haram militants.
A similar understanding is being worked out with Chad, but there is none with Cameroon as Boko Haram remained under an international spotlight after abducting more than 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State.
