Abuja, Nigeria
Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has thanked United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, for his visit to the country, saying that he is grateful the West African nation hasn't been forgotten amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Guterres, who is visiting
Nigeria for the first time as secretary-general, said he had traveled to
Nigeria "to express his solidarity with victims of terrorism,"
according to a statement from his office.
Buhari received Guterres at
the Presidential Villa in the capital Abuja Wednesday, where he expressed
gratitude for the UN's support for the country's fight against terrorism.
The Nigerian leader had been
concerned that the war in Ukraine could distract the world's attention to the
war against terror, but said Guterres' visit showed that "the world has
not forgotten us," according to a statement released Wednesday by Buhari's special
adviser Femi Adesina.
Nigeria is grappling with the
decades-long battle against Islamist groups that have left thousands dead and
millions displaced in the country's northern region. Boko Haram fighters and
its affiliates continue to carry out brutal attacks across swaths of the region
in their quest for control.
Sambisa, a vast forest reserve
in northeast Nigeria's Borno state, has served as a hideout and stronghold for
Boko Haram operatives, whose notorious activities have caused the deaths of
more than 37,000 people and displaced more than 2 million since 2011, according to data from the Council on Foreign
Relations.
"When we assumed office,
the North-East was the major security problem we inherited in 2015, but we have
been able to make people understand that you cannot kill people and shout
'Allahu Akbar,'" Buhari said according to Wednesday's statement, referring
to the Arabic phrase often translated as "God is greater."
"It is either you don't
know what you are saying or you are simply stupid. God is a God of justice, so
you cannot kill people and say God is great. Luckily the people understood our
message and it has made a great impact,'' he added.
On Tuesday, Guterres visited
Borno state.
During a visit to a UN-backed reintegration center for former insurgent fighters, the UN chief said he was pleased with the willingness of surrendering terrorists to be reintegrated into society.
"I was amazed to see
today, in the center, that those that have been terrorists want to integrate in
and contribute to society. The policy that is in place here is a policy of
reconciliation and reintegration," he said at the center.
According to the Borno state
government, more than 35,000 insurgents and their commanders have surrendered to authorities.
Guterres also spoke about his
interactions with displaced persons in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.
"Yesterday (Tuesday), I
visited Maiduguri where the United Nations is supporting the internally
displaced. I was deeply moved by their stories and struggles. These include the
struggles with hunger, with the World Food Programme projecting 4.1 million
people in the North East of Nigeria to be food insecure in the upcoming lean
season,'' he said.
"But despite all they
have seen and endured, the people I met remain hopeful and committed to
returning to their communities and resuming their lives."
The UN had proposed more
funding for Nigeria's humanitarian response, Guterres said.
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