2015-02-17 10:10
Yaounde - Boko Haram on Monday threatened neighboring countries
Niger and Chad, warning the fighters were prepared to carry out suicide
bombings in the countries sending troops to help fight the militants.
The
warning came as leaders from Niger and other countries in the region
gathered in Cameroon's capital to finalise plans for a joint offensive
against the militants who have stepped up their attacks in recent weeks.
In
a translation published by the SITE Intelligence Group, Boko Haram
sharply criticized Niger for joining the effort and said the country was
being dragged into a "swamp of darkness". Over the last 10 days, Boko
Haram fighters have repeatedly struck the town of Diffa but not the
capital.
"If you insist on continuing the aggression and the
coalition with the government of Chad, then we give you glad tidings
that the land of Niger is easier than the land of Nigeria and moving the
war to the depth of your cities will be the first reaction toward any
aggression that occurs after this statement," it said, according to
SITE's transcript.
A multinational force to fight Boko Haram
is expected to be formally launched in coming weeks. Chad, Cameroon,
Niger and Benin initially pledged to help Nigeria. On Monday, Burundi
and Central African Republic also agreed to contribute troops to fight
the militant group.
The extremist group has fought a five-year
insurgency against the country's government, leaving 10 000 people dead
last year alone. The violence has forced some 157 000 people to seek
refuge in Niger, while 40,000 others have gone to Cameroon and 17 000
are in Chad, the UN said. Almost 1 million Nigerians are internally
displaced, according to the country's own statistics.
On Monday,
leaders in Central Africa said that 10 member states had agreed to
contribute most of the $100m needed to combat Boko Haram. They did not
state how much had been raised nor how much is remaining despite calling
for the creation of an emergency fund to bridge the difference.
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