Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is set to meet with leaders from two West African countries to formalize a plan to deal with Boko Haram jihadists in the region.
President Buhari will meet with Niger’s Mahamadou Issoufou will meet behind closed doors with their Chadian counterpart Idriss Deby for a “mini summit”.
The meeting follows increased attacks from the Islamic militant group that has threatened peace in the region.
More than 27 000 people have died since the start of the Boko Haram insurgency, which began in Nigeria’s remote northeast in 2009.
Some 1.8 million people are still homeless after fleeing the violence.
“The increase in activities by Boko Haram elements in Nigeria and Niger in recent days is a concern for the heads of state who must decide on a rigorous plan of action,” a Chadian diplomatic source told AFP.
The armies of the three countries, along with Cameroon’s, are operating in the Lake Chad region in the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to counter the Islamic State-affiliated Boko Haram.
Since July there have been at least 17 attacks against military bases. Almost all of them in the region around Lake Chad, according to an AFP count.
Last week militants raided a base in Nigerian village of Metele, near the border with Niger, leaving at least 44 soldiers dead, although troops who survived put the death toll at more than 100.
Speaking while meeting troops in Maiduguri, the epicentre of jihadists insurgency, on Wednesday, Buhari said defeating Boko Haram was “a must-win war”.
“Our troops must not be distracted. They should be committed to the task of eliminating Boko Haram from the face of the earth,” he said.
