UNITED NATIONS, Feb 4 (BERNAMA-NNN-SABC) -- The United Nations Security
Council (UNSC) will not take any action on authorising an African Union
(AU) regional task force to fight Boko Haram militants in northern
Nigeria until a "concept of operations" document is agreed at a meeting
in Cameroon this week.
The UN has broadly welcomed the decision in Addis Ababa at the weekend to authorise the deployment of a multinational joint task force with a capacity of up to 7,500 troops to create a safe and secure environment in areas affected by the terrorist group.
As attacks by Boko Haram mount ahead of Nigeria's presidential election later this month, the urgency of deploying a regional task force has become critical.
UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, speaking in Addis Ababa at the weekend, welcomed the creation of the force.
"The murderous campaign waged by Boko Haram demands stronger and more coordinated action from us all. Like al-Qaeda, Boko Haram and ISIS, all these terrorists have committed unspeakable brutality against humanity," he said.
The AU Commission will convene a meeting of experts in Cameroon starting on Thursday to finalise the "concept of operations" for the new force, which includes issues such as command and control, rules of engagement and how African contingents will be supported by the international community.
The AU will then expect the UNSC to endorse the deployment, authorise a UN Trust Fund to help finance the regional force in addition to further international support to combat Boko Haram.
Ban spokesman Stephane Dujarric said here Tuesday: "There needs to be a regional implication to fighting the scourge of Boko Haram.
"Our understanding is that this may come to the Security Council at some point and obviously we'll have to see what the council's reaction is, what they designate as our role to be."
A permanent member of the Council indicated to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) that a concept of operations document needed to be agreed before any action would be taken in New York.
On Jan 19, the Security Council adopted a presidential statement encouraging support to enhance the operational capacity of the force including the provision of financial and logistical assistance.
It urged countries involved in the force to identify means and modalities of the envisaged deployment especially in the area of intelligence sharing and joint operations.
The UN has broadly welcomed the decision in Addis Ababa at the weekend to authorise the deployment of a multinational joint task force with a capacity of up to 7,500 troops to create a safe and secure environment in areas affected by the terrorist group.
As attacks by Boko Haram mount ahead of Nigeria's presidential election later this month, the urgency of deploying a regional task force has become critical.
UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, speaking in Addis Ababa at the weekend, welcomed the creation of the force.
"The murderous campaign waged by Boko Haram demands stronger and more coordinated action from us all. Like al-Qaeda, Boko Haram and ISIS, all these terrorists have committed unspeakable brutality against humanity," he said.
The AU Commission will convene a meeting of experts in Cameroon starting on Thursday to finalise the "concept of operations" for the new force, which includes issues such as command and control, rules of engagement and how African contingents will be supported by the international community.
The AU will then expect the UNSC to endorse the deployment, authorise a UN Trust Fund to help finance the regional force in addition to further international support to combat Boko Haram.
Ban spokesman Stephane Dujarric said here Tuesday: "There needs to be a regional implication to fighting the scourge of Boko Haram.
"Our understanding is that this may come to the Security Council at some point and obviously we'll have to see what the council's reaction is, what they designate as our role to be."
A permanent member of the Council indicated to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) that a concept of operations document needed to be agreed before any action would be taken in New York.
On Jan 19, the Security Council adopted a presidential statement encouraging support to enhance the operational capacity of the force including the provision of financial and logistical assistance.
It urged countries involved in the force to identify means and modalities of the envisaged deployment especially in the area of intelligence sharing and joint operations.
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