Zulum Hosts Sahel Envoys, Calls for Unified Response to Lake Chad Terrorism

By Tada Juth, Maiduguri

 Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has called for stronger regional cooperation among Sahel and Lake Chad Basin countries to confront terrorism, insurgency and the humanitarian crisis that has persisted across the region for nearly two decades.

Mr Zulum made the call on Saturday while declaring open a two-day high-level retreat involving representatives of Sahel countries and ambassadors at the Musa Usman Secretariat Complex in Maiduguri.

The meeting brought together officials and diplomats from countries affected by insecurity in the wider Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, including Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Mauritania.

The retreat focused on terrorism, diplomatic relations and the need for a coordinated regional response to security challenges threatening the countries.

Mr Zulum, who has consistently advocated a broader approach to addressing insecurity, said military operations alone could not end the insurgency and displacement crisis confronting the region.

“I have been consistently advocating for a multifaceted strategy that combines robust military offensives with non-kinetic interventions such as deradicalisation, reintegration and humanitarian development,” he said.

The governor said while security forces must continue their operations against terrorist groups, governments in the region needed to strengthen intelligence sharing, border management and joint stabilisation programmes.

“While our armed forces continue their brave operations, we must enhance intelligence sharing, community-based border management and joint stabilisation initiatives alongside the Multinational Joint Task Force,” he said.

Borno has remained at the centre of Nigeria’s counter-insurgency efforts since the Boko Haram insurgency escalated in 2009. The state has also borne a significant share of the humanitarian consequences, including displacement, destruction of infrastructure and disruption of livelihoods.

Mr Zulum said the experience had demonstrated the need for governments to combine security operations with measures aimed at addressing poverty, unemployment, radicalisation and other conditions that could fuel violent extremism.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, also urged countries in the region to deepen cooperation and address the underlying causes of terrorism.

He said a sustainable solution required governments to look beyond military responses and develop coordinated strategies capable of tackling the conditions that allow extremist groups to thrive.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dunoma Umara, said Nigeria had a strong interest in the stability of the Sahel because of the region’s historical, cultural and economic connections with the country.

According to him, stability across the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin is directly linked to Nigeria’s national security and socio-economic prosperity.

The Ambassador of Chad to Nigeria, Brah Mahamat, called for collective action among countries facing the security threat, despite their membership of different regional organisations.

“Although we belong to different institutional groupings, this should in no way impede our common security,” Mr Mahamat said.

He warned that terrorist groups were taking advantage of weaknesses along national borders and differences among regional blocs to expand their operations.

“Let us be clear: the enemy cares little whether we belong to CEMAC, ECOWAS or the AES. Its aim is to continue slipping across our borders, exploiting the operational limitations we have imposed upon ourselves,” he said.

The retreat is expected to provide a platform for participating countries and diplomatic representatives to explore practical measures for improving regional security cooperation, strengthening border coordination and supporting stabilisation efforts in communities affected by terrorism.

The gathering also reinforces Maiduguri’s growing importance as a centre for regional discussions on counter-terrorism, humanitarian recovery and peace-building in the Lake Chad Basin.