Boko Haram members
The
United States on Thursday said the Federal Government and the military
authorities needed to win the minds of northern Nigerians and to
urgently embark on economic recovery strategy if it ever wished to win
the war against Boko Haram.
The government, according to the US,
must also provide commensurate justice to both the insurgents and the
victims of their violence.
“The Nigerian government and military
must also win over the hearts and minds of northern populations by
protecting them and providing timely and commensurate justice to both
insurgents and the victims of this unfortunate conflict. Though no easy
task, a comprehensive approach that addresses socio-economic problems,
articulates clear rules of engagement, and commits to accountability for
those who perpetrate violence, both Boko Haram and security forces,
will demonstrate to every Nigerian that their future is brighter in a
more secure Nigeria,” US Under Secretary, Wendy Sherman, said in Abuja.
The US official said the violent Islamic
sect posed the largest challenge to Nigeria’s stability as it had
created “widespread insecurity across Northern Nigeria, increased
tensions between various ethnic communities, interrupted development
activities, frightened off investors and generated concerns among
Nigeria’s northern neighbours.
“Nigeria cannot fully achieve its
potential as a stable regional leader until the country successfully
overcomes the challenge of Boko Haram and secures peace and protection
for all its citizens in all regions,” she stressed.
Sherman therefore canvassed that the leaders of the insurgents must be captured and prosecuted.
The US Under Secretary said, “We know
that Boko Haram offers no practical solutions to northern Nigeria’s
problems. Instead, it capitalises on popular frustrations, religious
differences, and economic and social difficulties, seeking to undermine
the government and exploit religious differences in order to create
chaos and make Nigeria ungovernable.
“The United States knows from experience
the immense difficulty in confronting an enemy that respects no
boundaries and kills civilians indiscriminately. Today, I hope that our
teams can identify specific areas in the context of regional security
where we can deepen our partnership and chart concrete steps forward on
those topics on which we are already working together.
“Security efforts are necessary to
protect innocent Nigerians, to prevent Boko Haram’s acts of violence,
and to capture and prosecute its leaders.”
She said the US prescription to overcome
Boko Haram “may require a new social compact with Nigerian citizens
that encompasses an economic recovery strategy as a complement to the
government’s security strategy. This approach will be successful to the
extent that it can garner the support of northern governors and local
officials, traditional and religious leaders, civil society
organisations, and a generation of young Nigerians who are connected to
their government, locally and federally.”
She admitted that success for the
Federal Government might not be easy but promised the US support “as one
of your strongest and most faithful friends and partners.”
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Martin Uhomoibhi, who co-chaired the
meeting, said the BNC was aimed at sustaining and promoting diplomatic,
economic and security cooperation between the two countries based on
mutual respect, benefit and equality.
According to him, President Goodluck Jonathan has deployed enormous resources to confront the Boko Haram threats.
Uhomoibhi added that “the country would
soon overcome its challenges,” and requested the US to support Nigeria’s
security agencies with capacity building and specialised training on
intelligence gathering.
The framework establishing the BNC was
signed on April 6, 2010 in Washington D.C. Nigeria is the second largest
destination for the U.S. private investment estimated at about $5
billion.
According to Sherman, more than 1.5
million Nigerians and Nigerian-Americans live in the U.S while estimated
31,000 U.S. citizens live in Nigeria.
The communiqué issued at the end of the
BNC meeting read, “Both countries acknowledged that terrorism posed a
threat to Nigeria’s national development, regional stability, and global
security. In this regard, they expressed determination and commitment
to further improve and support measures put in place by the Nigerian
government to address the security challenges.
“Both countries noted the fundamental
responsibility of government to preserve life, protect the population,
and fairly administer justice. Both countries agreed on the importance
of good governance, accountability, and economic development in building
a prosperous and peaceful future for all Nigerians.
“The Executive Governor of Borno State
reaffirmed the importance of the state government in building peace and
prosperity and his commitment to good governance, accountability, and
economic development towards resolving ongoing conflict in northern
Nigeria.
“The Nigerian government is committed to
ensuring the protection of the fundamental human rights of all
citizens, including terrorism suspects. Both countries will seek to
collaborate on communications strategies to engage communities in
Nigeria on issues of peace and security.
“The Nigerian government affirmed its
commitment to further enhance the professional capacity of the security
forces to respond to internal conflicts and extremist violence while
protecting human rights. As part of this effort, the U.S. Government
affirmed its commitment to assist the Nigerian Police Force to identify
areas of increased partnership.
“Recognising a joint desire to further
strengthen bilateral relations, the U.S. and Nigerian governments
resolve to partake in more persistent engagement and cooperation on
security matters, working through the United States Embassy in Abuja.
The United States committed to supporting Nigeria in pursuing holistic
and comprehensive solutions to address security and development needs in
northern Nigeria.
“The Nigerian and U.S. governments
intend to follow up on these commitments and seek further collaboration
to address the challenges identified in the Regional Security
Cooperation Working Group.
“Both countries plan to seek
participation from the private sector, civil society, local governments,
and other democratic partner countries in the next meeting of the
Regional Security Cooperation Working Group.”
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