Cameroon’s military killed at least 40 Boko Haram militants in
the country’s northwest weekend, a government radio
reported Sunday, a day after Nigeria labelled the Central
African nation the weakest link in its fight against the
extremist sect.
The clashes leading to the killing occurred in the town of
Kouserri, which borders Nigeria and Chad.
The Nigerian government regards Cameroon as not
cooperative as Niger and Chad in the fight against Boko
Haram.
After a security summit in Paris two weeks ago, Cameroon
said it deployed 1,000 troops to its border to help contain the
increasingly deadly group.
But Sarkin-Yaki Bello, the Coordinator-General of Nigeria’s
Counter Terrorism Centre, said was quoted by Reuters news
agency, Saturday, as criticising Cameroon’s effort in rooting
Boko Haram.
“Niger has been proactive and aggressive, Chad has shown zero
tolerance for Boko Haram,” Mr. Sarkin-Bello said.
“Cameroon, we’ve engaged them to be more pro-active. They
haven’t really. Not yet.”
One Cameroonian official denied the allegation, while a second
blamed funding for the country’s slow response.
Under a pact reached at the Paris summit, Cameroon, Chad,
Niger and Benin- all Nigeria’s neighbours, are to step up their
action against Boko Haram by maintaining an intelligence
sharing platform, improving border patrols, and coordinating
their actions.
Currently, Niger allows Nigerian soldiers cross into its
borders to pursue Boko Haram militants. A similar
understanding is being worked out with Chad, but there is
none with Cameroon.
Boko Haram has remained under an international spotlight
after abducting more than 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in
Borno State.
The girls remain in captivity as the Nigerian government,
assisted by major world powers, has failed to rescue them.
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