Presidents Muhammadu Buhari of
Nigeria and Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya have agreed that the two countries will
cooperate at the multi-lateral and bi-lateral fronts to eliminate terrorism.
Speaking
today during a bilateral meeting at State House, Nairobi, Kenyatta
emphasized that peace and security are essential ingredients to sustainable
development, saying that was why Kenya continued to be at the forefront in
championing for the realization of peace and security in Africa.
He
thanked Nigeria for its support to Kenya following the recent attack on AMISOM
soldiers from Kenya.
President
Kenyatta observed that the African Union through AMISOM has made great strides
in the stabilization of Somalia, noting that sustainable peace and stability
for Somalia means stability and security for the region and beyond.
“I must
therefore appreciate Nigeria’s commitment and continued support through the
African Union to restore stability in Somalia,” Kenyatta
said.
He urged
Nigeria to remain steadfast in supporting the government of the Federal
Republic of Somalia in its national reconciliation and reconstruction efforts.
On his
part, President Buhari said terrorism should be fought from all fronts, saying
no country was immune to the menance.
“This is
why the entire global community must work in a concerted manner particularly in
areas of sharing intelligence and pooling resources to confront the scourge,” he said.
To win
the war against terrorism, President Buhari said new and versatile strategies
must be developed including tackling radicalization and violent extremism which
are taking root in Africa.
“The
extremist narrative and ideology by radical elements and militants in our
society must be tackled through counter-narrative that emphasizes education,
moderation and tolerance,” Buhari
said.
He
commended President Kenyatta for the giant strides made in infrastructure
development, healthcare, information technology and education.
“Your
strategy for economic diversification is a model many countries admire. Your
commitment for inclusive growth in spite of the challenge of terrorism is a
clear sign of a strong leadership. Your determination to defeat terrorism
whenever it rears its ugly head demonstrates your vision for global peace and
security,” Buhari
said.
He added: “Nigeria assures you of support in your ongoing efforts to
deal decisively with terrorist organizations. We must all remain resolute in
the fight to defeat terrorism.”
It will
be recalled that in July 2015, the two countries concluded an agreement for the
establishment of a Joint Commission for Cooperation.
The
agreement established an enabling framework for enhancing bilateral cooperation
in areas of mutual interest including trade, tourism, education, energy,
agriculture and technical cooperation.
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