Nigeria and France strengthen military alliance

Nigeria and France strengthen military cooperation



naijacamp.com.ngFrance and Nigeria on Thursday signed an agreement on closer military co-operation, including intelligence sharing, to strengthen the fight against Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region.

Nigerian Defence Minister Mansur Dan Ali said the deal was signs of a "growing partnership" between Paris and Abuja, as he met his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian in the capital.

The two states have now been working more closely since a summit in Paris in December 2014, particularly in the place of military intelligence on the Islamist militants.



Nigeria’s neighbours, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, are all former French colonies its support is vital and where Paris continues to have sway, Dan Ali admitted.

Le Drian said France was mostly concerned with "the common fight against terrorism and particularly against Boko Haram".

Maritime security can also be a key factor in alliance, he added, with incidences of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea off Nigeria’s oil-rich south increasing in recent months.

The two minister signed a letter of intent summarizing the main points of bilateral military cooperation after a high-level joint defence committee of Nigeria and French officials.



naijakings.comClick this link to find out more about all Naija news papers ; That site has fast breaking news about Naija. Both armies signed an operational collaboration file detailing 28 areas combat rescue and to be tackled before the end of the year.

Cross border military exercises and joint marine operations with other nations are also included.