As regional and western powers met in Nigeria to craft a strategy over the fight against Boko Haram, one thing was certain – the Islamist group must be defeated at all costs. France is leading the pack and has pledged military cooperation with Nigeria to assist in the fight.
French president François Hollande and his Nigerian counterpart Muhammadu Buhari signed a letter of intent on Saturday, after a consultative meeting on the sidelines of the Boko Haram summit in Abuja. In addition to the fight against terror, the agreement will also focus on maritime piracy and intelligence sharing.
But France is not alone in the fight. The United States and the European Union also pledged their support. This military cooperation will further boost a multinational force of 8,500 troops that has been operational in Nigeria and neighbouring countries since July, but has been struggling to quash the militia. Read more on the story.