Zulum hosts Sahel countries, ambassadors for high-level retreat

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has hosted a high-level retreat in Maiduguri, bringing together representatives from Sahel countries and ambassadors.

The representatives deliberated on coordinated efforts to tackle terrorism, insurgency, and broader security crisis plaguing the region.

The retreat, held at the conference hall of the Musa Usman Secretariat on Saturday, underscores Maiduguri’s emerging role as a hub for regional counter-terrorism dialogue.

Zulum, who has been at the forefront of advocacy for a comprehensive approach to insecurity, used the occasion to rally regional stakeholders around the need for a unified front against terrorist groups, including Boko Haram and Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP).

Speaking against the backdrop of Borno State’s long-standing experience with insurgency, the Borno State governor reiterated that a purely military approach has proven insufficient and that the terrorism and displacement affecting the Sahel cannot be solved by kinetic means alone.

He has consistently advocated for a multifaceted strategy that combines robust military offensives with non-kinetic interventions such as deradicalisation, reintegration, and humanitarian development.

“While our armed forces continue their brave operations, we must enhance intelligence sharing, community-based border management, and joint stabilisation initiatives alongside the Multinational Joint Task Force (MINTF),” he said.

Speaking earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, called for stronger regional cooperation to tackle terrorism in the Sahel region, noting that governments across the region should focus on addressing the root causes of the crisis.

On his part, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dunoma Umara, said the Sahel’s historical, cultural, and economic ties with Nigeria made regional stability important to the country’s national security and prosperity.

Also speaking, the Ambassador of Chad to Nigeria, Brah Mahamat, called for a collective resolve to address the insecurity in the Sahel region, stating,

Mahamat said: “Although we belong to different institutional groupings, this should in no way impede our common security. 

“Let us be clear: the enemy cares little whether we belong to CEMAC, ECOWAS or the AES.

“It aims to continue slipping across our borders, exploiting the operational limitations we have imposed upon ourselves.”

𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖/𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖