The Force Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), Major General Ibrahim Ali, has advocated for community engagement in the fight against Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin.
He made this known during the opening ceremony of an international workshop on building community resilience against terrorism and violent extremism in the Lake Chad Basin on 16 October 2023.
General Ali highlighted that the workshop seeks to promote active engagement and participation by the victims of terrorism who are at the very heart of the crisis and all the communities. This noble objective according to him extends beyond simple awareness and aims to empower the communities with tools to understand the nature of the conflict and to play a significant role in countering terrorism.
He further stated that “with local awareness and engagement, we are not just presenting a united front against terrorism but also fostering a formidable fortress, resilient against any form of violent extremism”.
In a remark, the acting head of the African Union Mission Support Team, Abdou Mahamane, said the training became necessary in order to widen the audience’s understanding of the challenges before us. He advised the participants to contribute meaningfully during the training in order to benefit maximally.
The 4-day workshop was organised by the African Union Mission Support Team for MNJTF. It involves participants from various sectors of MNJTF among other stakeholders.
Dominica Nwabufo
