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By Patrick Aigbokhan
The Republic of Benin has said it will release 800 troops to join a new multinational force tasked with the fight against the Boko Haram militants.
The development, which was announced by President Thomas Boni Yayi of Benin, came after a meeting he had with his Nigerian counterpart Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday.
After a visit to Cameroon earlier this week to discuss the fight against the Islamist group, Buhari was in Cotonou to attend celebrations marking Benin’s 55 years of independence.
Boni Yayi told reporters after a meeting with Buhari that Benin will show “solidarity” with its “brothers in arms” in the region by sending “a contingent of 800 men… to permanently combat these outlaws”.
Troops for the new multinational force, which includes soldiers from Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad as well as Benin, were set to be deployed at any time, according to its commander Major General Iliya Abbah on Saturday.
The force, made up of 8,700 troops and headquartered in Chad, is expected to help with better coordination of the regional offensive launched in February, which has made a series of successful inroads against Boko Haram but has failed to neutralise the militants.
The extremist group, whose name roughly translates as “Western education is forbidden”, has carried on its campaign of attacks on security forces, suicide bombings and bloody raids on villages across Nigeria’s north and eastern borders despite the military campaign against them.
Rights groups have said that Boko Haram has kidnapped thousands of civilians, including women and children, with many either forced or indoctrinated into joining the extremists.
