缅北禁地

24 September 2014 鈥� Even though the United Nations Charter underlines the imperative to 鈥渟ave succeeding generations from the scourge of war鈥�, Goodluck Jonathan, President of Nigeria听听the General Assembly today that the world continued to witness the ravages of war and human suffering, at times manifested as a 鈥渧icious and aimless鈥� insurgency with 鈥渁gonizing consequences.鈥�

Mr. Jonathan, addressing the Assembly鈥檚 annual general debate, said the involvement of foreign fighters has remained a common feature of terrorist groups, whether Al Qaida in the Maghreb, Al Shabaab in Somalia, Boko Haram in Nigeria, or the newly emerging Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

鈥淭he new dimension introduced by (ISIL) to conquer territory and establish its destructive ideology, is a major challenge that must be collectively halted before it becomes the norm,鈥� he declared, adding that such actions also refocus attention on the need to review present tools for 缅北禁地peacekeeping operations.

As for Nigeria, Mr. Jonathan said the violent and criminal activities of Boko Haram have continued to pose a potent challenge to his Government and people. 鈥淭hrough a wave of terror, assassinations, bombings, and now abductions and kidnappings predominantly in the northeast of the country, Boko Haram is attempting to truncate development, by murder and mayhem,鈥� he said, lamenting that in April, 鈥渙ur innocent daughters鈥� were abducted from a Secondary School in Chibok.

Thanking all the countries and organizations that expressed solidarity with Nigeria, and which had continued to support its determined efforts to free the girls, he said that although it has been over three months since they were abducted, 鈥渨e have never relented in our efforts to set them safely free. Together with our partners, we are working assiduously to free our daughters and reunite them with their families.鈥�

鈥淲e shall not waiver until we end this mindless war on the innocent, and bring all the perpetrators to justice. We will triumph over terrorism.鈥�

Mr. Jonathan went on to say that while Africa, and in particular, West Africa, battles conflicts and terrorism, with progressive results, the region is now being devastated by the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus. 鈥淲hile Nigeria was able to respond effectively to control the spread of the disease, the situation in Liberia and Sierra Leone requires sustainable, collective global action to contain,鈥� he said, underscoring that the indulging in 鈥渋solationist and discriminatory tendencies will only worsen an already critical situation.鈥�