BAYO OLADEJI and GEORGE AGBA
President Goodluck Jonathan has disclosed that Nigeria has spent
$34million (about N7billion) on the immediate deployment of troops and
logistics support to stop the activities of Islamic terrorists in Mali.
He also made an additional $5million pledge to further help that
country.
Jonathan stated this yesterday at the donors’ conference held at the
end of the 20th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia.
Nigeria had already deployed 900 combat soldiers and 300 Air Force
personnel to Mali as part of the African-led International Support
Mission in Mali (AFISMA).
The sum of $5.5 million out of the N7 billion, according to him, had
been used for the re-construction and refurbishment of a number of
medical clinics in the military barracks of some of the Malian Defence
and Security Forces as part of the Security Sector Reform (SSR)
intervention.
Jonathan explained that about $2million of the said amount had been
spent on humanitarian relief and supplies, while the additional
$5million pledge, which was in response to the call for more donations,
was a further expression of Nigeria’s commitment to the international
effort to restore peace in Mali.
The AU had set a target of $50 million, but the total pledges
announced at the end of the conference was $455.53 million, apart from
other commitments made by the donors to contribute to the training of
the Malian Defence Forces and other forms of assistance.
He noted that Nigeria was part of the joint initiative being
undertaken by the African Union (AU), Economic Community for West
African States (ECOWAS), the European Union (EU) and the United Nations
(UN) aimed at mobilizing adequate financial resources in support of the
Malian Defense and Security Forces (MDSF) as well as African-led
International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA).
The president added that though this initiative would be considered
as rather belated, given the rapidly unfolding events in Mali, it was
better to start now than to wait even a day longer.
“The collaboration between these four organizations on this
initiative is a clear demonstration of international solidarity,
sympathy and cooperation required for a definitive resolution of the
Malian crisis which has serious international consequences”, he noted.
He recalled that, at the political level, he had visited Mali in his
capacity as co-mediator, on October 19, 2012, to urge national
consultations and dialogue in Bamako, the Malian capital, with a view to
promoting a united political front on the basis of the ECOWAS roadmap
for the resolution of the crisis in Mali.
He gave the assurance that Nigeria’s support for Mali for the long
haul, saying, “For this reason, the pledge I make today (of $5million)
is a further expression of our commitment to a worthy international
effort.”
He advised that the funds generated in the Donors’ Conference should
be used not only for defence and security purposes, but also for the
provision of necessary humanitarian support, adding that the ultimate
resolution of the Malian crisis rested with the implementation of the
ECOWAS peace plan, which provides for the restoration of constitutional
order and promotion of democracy in the country.
On his part, chairman of the AU and Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Haile
Mariam Desalegn, said the donors’ conference would assist to mobilise
the necessary resources to maintain the gains and re-energize the
political process.
Boko Haram ceasefire: CDS cautions FG
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim yesterday
cautioned the federal government and the populace against celebrating
the ceasefire announced by the Boko Haram sect which is waging
insurgency war against some states in the north.
The country had heaved a sigh of relief when a faction of the sect
reportedly promised to halt its insurgent attacks in favour of peace for
the country to move forward.
This is even as some northern elders have advocated offering amnesty to the sect members.
But speaking with journalists during the third seminar on national
security at the National Defence College entitled “Contemporary National
Security Challenges: Policy Option”, the CDS, whose office is
prosecuting the war against the sect, said it was too early to rejoice
over the sect’s peace signal.
He said: ‘‘You see, we must treat the ceasefire option with a lot of
caution. There are certain objective tests that will make sense. If we
can have a long period of about one month where no bomb explodes, where
nobody is shot, where nobody is beheaded, where no church is bombed,
where no mosque is threatened, then we can begin to talk.
‘‘You see must take this offer with a lot of caution. We hope
whatever that must have brought this about will further enhance our
security. And it is like a recognition of the very futile approach to
solving whatever they consider to be their problems. So, we are a bit
excited by it but we are taking everything with a lot of caution.’’
Commenting on the intervention force in Mali, the CDS expressed
satisfaction at the success recorded so far, and expressed optimism
that, very soon, the second phase of the intervention, which is to
restore peace in the strife-torn nation, would kick in.
“On the situation in Mali, things are moving so fast. We are very
proud of our troops. Their performance is absolutely brilliant. We must
congratulate the efforts of those who see this worthy cause to support
Africa especially the sub-region - France, the US, the UK, Germany,
Belgium, the African Union. It is an essentially African problem, but
then we have placed it on the international domain and we are all very
excited, especially the committee of CDS about the pace at which things
have moved so far. Though we keep our fingers crossed, very soon, we
begin to roll over to the second stage of the mandate for the ECOWAs
forces.”
The event is being attended by top officers in the military, police
and para-military organizations. Those who were in attendance yesterday
at the opening ceremony included, but not limited to, the Chief of Naval
Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Johnson Ezeoba; Major General Bolaji Koleosho,
the Chief of Civil-Military Affairs who represented the Chief of Army
Staff, Lt. Gen OA Ihejirika; representative of the Chief of Air Force;
the Minister of Police Affairs, Captain Caleb Olubolade and some retired
military and police officers.
Leadership
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