Boko Haram Launches Fresh Attacks As France Hosts Summit To End Insurgencies
Fresh attacks by Boko Haram have hit the country amidst meeting of West African leaders holding in Paris to discuss ways crush the recurring insurgencies.
The news of fresh violence by the terrorist group emerged just as Saturday's summit began in France.
The recent attacks were carried on Friday in two separate locations; the first in Cameroon near the Nigerian border which targeted Chinese workers in the area, while the second attack carried in Nigeria, which targeted a village situated only a few hours' drive from the Cameroonian border has claimed 11 lives.
One of the survivors of the attack on the village disclosed that a woman and her child were among those killed by the Boko Haram fighters.
The attack in Cameroon was carried out late on Friday night at a camp run by a Chinese construction company. A Chinese diplomat at the location said 10 people were missing and one person was left injured; one other person was also killed in the attack.
According
to a source who spoke on the attack, the militants who came heavily
armed were able to carry out their attack on the camp which was usually
heavily guarded by soldiers form Cameroon's elite Rapid Intervention
Batalion because most of the troops were off their post on a military
parade in Yaounde ahead of National Day on May 20.
“The Boko Haram militants were heavily armed, they came in five vehicles,” an official in Waza, a town near the site of the attack, told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“Cameroonian soldiers retaliated and the fighting lasted until 3:00 am (0200 GMT),” said a local police chief, who said the militants also raided the police armoury in Waza overnight." He said.
A source close to the Chinese embassy in the Cameroonian capital Yaounde confirmed that 10 people were missing and one wounded but would not confirm or deny whether anyone had been killed.
At
the opening of the summit held in France, French President Francois
Hollande described Boko Haram as a "major threat" to West and Central
Africa, and said it had "proven links" with al-Qaeda and other militant
groups.“The Boko Haram militants were heavily armed, they came in five vehicles,” an official in Waza, a town near the site of the attack, told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“Cameroonian soldiers retaliated and the fighting lasted until 3:00 am (0200 GMT),” said a local police chief, who said the militants also raided the police armoury in Waza overnight." He said.
A source close to the Chinese embassy in the Cameroonian capital Yaounde confirmed that 10 people were missing and one wounded but would not confirm or deny whether anyone had been killed.
William Hague
UK
Foreign Secretary William Hague says Nigeria must work with its
neighbouring Francophone countries to tackle Boko Haram insurgencies.
Representatives from the UK, US and EU are also taking part.
President Jonathan was scheduled to pay a visit to Chibok, the town where the mass kidnap of over 200 schoolgirls by Boko Haram took place. His meeting was however cancelled due to security reasons in the state causing outrage amidst parents of the abducted girls and other state of officials of Borno state.
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