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UN Advocates Strong Political Will To End Insurgency

The United Nations (UN) Humanitarian arm has called on the Nigerian government to match the ongoing military efforts with a political will as the only … Continue reading UN Advocates Strong Political Will To End Insurgency


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The United Nations (UN) Humanitarian arm has called on the Nigerian government to match the ongoing military efforts with a political will as the only solution to ending the Boko Haram insurgency.

UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon gave the position of the UN in Bakassi IDP camp Maiduguri during a town hall meeting with the affected population.

The meeting is part of activities marking this year’s World Humanitarian Day tagged #NotATarget.

This follows the continued onslaught and terrorism on civilians in northeast Nigeria which is worrisome not only to the Federal Government but also to the international community as well.

Since the start of the conflict in 2009, the U.N. estimated that more than 20,000 people have been killed while many children, men, and women are victims of abductions and various human rights abuses.

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon says this year’s World Humanitarian Day is to reaffirm that civilians and aid workers helping them.

Kallon believes that with the right political will the Boko Haram war is a workover for the Nigerian government.

“We are calling on all stakeholders in this conflict to ensure that civilians are not caught in the crisis.

“We call on them to put people first in trying to find a solution to this crisis and I’m also trying to convey that the only durable solution to this crisis is for people to go back to their homes and start rebuilding their lives.

That is why I call on the government of Borno and the Federal Government to try and complement the ongoing military effort with a political process so we can find a durable solution to this crisis.

People want to go home and not stay in the IDP camps, I think it is the responsibility of the government of Nigeria, its security apparatus, and the international community to come to the aid of these people and help find a solution to this crisis.

“If there is one conflict around the world that can be resolved it’s the Boko Haram crisis; we are feeling with a strong government, a government that has the capability to find the durable solution to this crisis.”

The Borno state government is worried about millions of families affected by the lingering crisis.
While rebuilding and reconstruction efforts have paid off with the successful return of the displaced to some parts of the state, many are still hanging in the balance.

The Borno State Deputy Governor, Usman Durkwa stated that “Security remains a major concern and we applaud the ongoing food distribution to those in need.

“The government of Borno state remains committed to protecting the vulnerable people and helping them in rebuilding their lives.

We acknowledge the contribution of the military and other security agents for liberating our communities. We urge them to double their efforts in combatting the insurgency.”

Opinions sampled in the Bakassi Internally Displaced People’s camp in Maiduguri indicates that while the people are eager to return home, somewhere in their heart they still harbour fear of the unknown.

one of the IDPs, Fadi Abbas, disclosed that “If they will return us home we would be happy if they would assist us with goods to sustain us for a year or two before we stabilize, but the only thing is that we are not sure of our security, and we keep wondering if they will attack us in our homes again or they are gone for good.

We cannot even go to our farms; it will really be tough which is why some of us prefer staying here.”

Health and Aid workers who care for people affected by violence are also affected by the insecurity which constrains access to desperately vulnerable communities.

The UN also condemned the recent killing of 27 persons by suicide bombers at the IDP camp in Konduga local government.