Chibok Girls: UN Calls on Nigerian Stakeholders to Close Ranks to End Insurgency

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines Tuesday, June 10th, 2014

UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative to West Africa, Mr Said Djinnit, has urged Nigerians to close ranks and work towards the safe release of abducted Chibok school girls.

This call was according to The Eagle online was contained in a statement issued by Mr Oluseyi Soremekun, who is National Information Officer and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, UN Information Centre, called on stakeholders to collectively work and address insurgency in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria.

The statement said Djinnit had on May 7, consulted with stakeholders in Nigeria over the abduction of the school girls and related issues with government officials, prominent Nigerians and civil society organizations.
The statement added that others consulted by the Representative included former Heads of State, regional and international partners. The meeting, according to the statement, was to complement Nigeria’s efforts at securing the safe release of the abducted girls by Boko Haram and also to address related challenges.
It stated that the UN team would work with Nigerian authorities as well as the affected communities to secure the release of the abducted girls. The statement stressed the pivotal role Nigeria had played in promoting regional peace and security, while reaffirming the commitment of the UN to its stability and consolidation of its democratic achievements.

The statement reiterated the sympathy of the UN and the Secretary-General with the abducted girls, their families, communities and the people and Government of Nigeria. It also renewed the UN’s commitment to support ongoing efforts by the government of Nigeria to secure the quick and safe release of all the abducted girls with the assistance of its partners. The release stressed the importance of coordination and joint efforts by countries of the region with the support of international partners to comprehensively address the security threat in the Lake Chad area.