President Francois Hollande of France has said that President Muhammadu Buharu has been able to weaken Boko Haram insurgents in Nigeria because he has starved them of finances and weapons with which to fight back.
He said: “terrorism is feeding on all the weaknesses of the financial system so we have to fight corruption, the underground economy as well as tax havens. And this has indeed an impact on the terrorist groups and their ability to finance arms trafficking as well as terror attacks.”
President Hollande who signed a business and bilateral trade agreements with President Buhari at a summit dedicated to fighting the Islamist militant group today in Abuja, Nigeria, pledged her country’s more support against Boko Haram.
Hollande who spoke to news men in Abuja before the meeting with her Nigerian counterpart, noted that Nigeria has been able to drive the insurgents out of many territories, adding that France will continue to support the struggle against the group by providing military support, equipment and trading.
He spoke before a meeting that will be attended by presidents of Cameroon, Niger, Chad and Benin, as well as representatives of the U.S., U.K and European Union.
The French president said that his country and Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, signed technical, scientific and cultural cooperation pacts, a treaty to support Nigeria’s agricultural industry and are working on a defense agreement.
President Buhari thanked France’s support for the fight against Boko Haram and helping to stabilize the region politically and economically. [myad]
