The United Kingdom Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, has announced the country’s £12.6 million commitment aimed at fighting the growing threat of terrorism in Nigeria and other countries in West Africa.
Raab at a meeting of the Global Coalition against Daesh in Rome on Monday stated that the fund would support efforts to counter terrorist groups operating in the North-East, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.
According to the Foreign Secretary, the funds will be used to support both the regionally-led military fight against Daesh and projects encouraging its fighters to leave the terrorist group.
A statement from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office disclosed that foreign ministers from more than 45 countries took part in the meeting which was called to discuss deepening cooperation to combat Daesh and its affiliate terrorist groups, Boko Haram, including emerging threats across the African continent.
It explained that the UK during the parley also expressed concern over the fragile security situation in Iraq and violence in displacement camps and detention centres in northeast Syria.
The statement said, “The UK is funding a new Conflict, Stability and Security Fund programme for the Lake Chad Basin region of West Africa, where Daesh’s affiliate, known as Islamic State West Africa, is responsible for significant violence.
“This will support regional military efforts to counter Daesh and other groups, as well as efforts to safely demobilise suspected low-level members of terrorist groups.”
Raab was quoted as expressing worries over ISIS growing influence and activities in West Africa.
He said, “Two years since Daesh’s territorial defeat in Iraq and Syria, the threat of Daesh and its hateful ideology has not gone away. Worryingly, it continues to grow in Africa which is why we must work with our Coalition partners to fight its poisonous propaganda on all fronts.
“We stand shoulder to shoulder with our African partners to tackle the growing threat from Daesh-linked groups across Africa, particularly in the Lake Chad Basin.”
