Niger president urges nation to stand firm against Boko Haram
Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou has urged his nation to stand firm against Boko Haram Takfiri militants who have been repeatedly launching cross-border sorties from Nigeria over the last few days.
"Our country will not go down in history as having been cowed by an enemy that wants to cover our country in darkness," said Issoufou during a speech broadcast on national radio on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Niger’s capital city, Niamey, declared a state of emergency in the Diffa border region with Nigeria over the violence perpetrated by the Takfiri militants .
Niger’s parliament also voted to contribute soldiers to a regional force aimed at fighting the Boko Haram militants.
"The people must support the defense and security forces, especially by signing up," Issoufou added.
He also called for a "general mobilization" and urged the country’s youth not to fall for Boko Haram propaganda.
Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Benin have pledged to create an 8,700-strong force to fight the militancy.
The worsening militancy has killed at least 13,000 people and rendered more than a million others homeless since 2009, according to AFP.
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