UNSC Condemns Boko Haram Attacks, Praises Chad’s Resistance

In a press statement issued Monday, members of the UN Security Council called for the coordination of regional military operations to combat Boko Haram militants and praised the Chadian army's swift reaction to a recent attack in Cameroon.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — The UN Security Council condemned recent attacks by Islamist group Boko Haram and praised Chad for helping fight the militants.

In a press statement issued Monday, members of the Security Council “condemned in the strongest terms the continued escalation of attacks perpetrated by Boko Haram terrorists, including on February 1 in Maiduguri, Borno State, as well as the increasing attacks in the Lake Chad Basin region.”

Citing their unanimous presidential statement issued in January, the Security Council “reiterated their deep concern that the activities of Boko Haram are undermining the peace and stability of the West and Central African region.”

The Security Council called for the coordination of regional military operations to combat the militants and praised the Chadian army's swift reaction to a Boko Haram attack in Cameroon last week.

According to the Chad Armed Forces, more than 120 Boko Haram fighters were killed when the Chadian military repelled the Nigerian Islamist group’s cross-border attack in Cameroon.

Boko Haram, or “Western education is forbidden,” has been advocating Islamic fundamentalism in northeastern Nigeria since 2002. The group, seeking to establish an Islamic caliphate, began launching attacks in 2009 and has since seized large parts of Nigeria, with violence spilling over to neighboring countries.