Nigeria’s principle of strategic autonomy is one that abhors the presence of foreign forces and private military companies in our region, whether from east or west.
Mr Macron told French ambassadors that France’s military interventions in the Sahel to fight terrorism had been reciprocated with ingratitude.
A joint statement noted that China urged other international actors to refrain from actions that could turn the region into a space for geopolitical contestation.
Mr Wood condemned sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls in the region by Boko Haram.
ECOWAS is not a supranational body; it cannot compel compliance with its decisions on Niger Republic, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
“There would probably no longer be a Mali … Burkina Faso, and I’m not sure there would still be Niger.”
UN secretary general Antonio Guterres has emphasised UN support to Africa in his fight to end the scourge of terrorism, noting that the situation in the region is worrisome.
The fund is to assist vulnerable communities in countries in the Lake Chad region, such as Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, and Chad.
The UN gave the warning in a report, ‘Moving from Reaction to Action: Anticipating Vulnerability Hotspots in the Sahel’, published on Wednesday.
“Lower the temperature — now,” said Mr Guterres. “Don’t flood the world today; don’t drown it tomorrow.”
