ISIL, Serious Threat to Global Peace Buhari Tell Obama,Others

President Muhammadu Buhari says ISIL is a serious threat to international peace and security and should be treated as such. Buhari spoke in New York yesterday at the Global Summit on Countering ISIL and Violent Extremism organised by American President Barrack Obama, as part of the activities marking the 70th General Assembly of the United Nations. 

President Buhari stressed that there could be no half measures or expedient solutions in dealing with terrorists and extremists. 

From left: President Muhammadu Buhari, UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon and US President Barack Obama at the 70th summit of the United Nations in New York, yesterday.

According to him, the threats posed by ISIL in the Middle-East and violent extremism elsewhere are an existential danger to many states as “they respect no laws, and have no regard to the sanctity of lives and property. They operate outside law and must be seen for what they are and dealt with appropriately.” 

He noted that the increase in violence and terrorism by ISIL and other groups had enticed and emboldened insurgent groups in Africa to pledge allegiance to gain local traction. 

“The Boko Haram terrorist group, operating in the Lake Chad Basin area, which is currently on the Al-Qaida sanctions list, pledged its allegiance to ISIL in March 2015. While we believe that Boko Haram action is an indication of the weakening operational capability of the group, it could also suggest that it was a strategic move to attract foreign fighters into its fold, and obtain assistance from ISIL. Certainly, whatever the reason was for the declaration of allegiance, one thing is certain: Boko Haram terrorist group wants to be drawn into the centre stage of global terrorism,” he said. 

President Buhari called for military action combined with effective border security, intelligence collection and sharing as well as vigorous policing action, saying though these alone might not suffice, they could certainly stem the tide and reverse the process of recruitment, movement and effective operation of foreign terrorist fighters and their associated radical extremists. 

(culled from daily trust)