Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno state, has said that over 35,000 repentant Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists are being disarmed and demobilized for reintegration into communities.
Zulum made the declaration at an international Conference, tagged: “Lake Chad Basin: Key Steps towards Comprehensive Regional Solutions,” held at the Winston House, Sussex, UK.
Addressing multinationals from Chad, Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and development partners from UK, he disclosed: “We’re navigating the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) processes in the state,” adding that; while there is an ongoing kinetic efforts to fully reintegrate the repentant terrorists.
He said the conference, hosted by the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office focuses on how to effectively manage the massive surrender of B’Haram/ISWAP insurgents through DDR.
Presenting the paper, yesterday, he said the rates of defection and surrender by the insurgents including liberated communities are high with an average of 200 to 300 people a day.
“This requires immediate action to cater for the people in such a way it will encourage further defections,” he said.
He explained that there should be a simultaneous balance of people’s needs, as they were formerly associated with Boko Haram and liberated communities.
Besides, he warned that it is important that the repentant terrorists are not handled the same way as prisoners of war.
He said that there is the need to protect those that surrender as their lives are in danger of being attacked by ISWAP.
“The Lake Chad Basin Regional Strategy for Stabilization Recovery and Resilience,” he said, will also provide the framework for conflict interventions by the development partners.
Zulum will delivered a keynote address, titled: “Insurgency, Recovery and Rebuilding Borno State: My aspirations for the state and Lake Chad region” tomorrow (Wednesday) in Sussex, UK.
He will provide a detailed overview that highlighted the impacts of terrorism. The devastating impacts are on the destroyed infrastructures, displacements, humanitarian crisis and resettlement efforts.
He also detailed the immediate, short and long term plans for stabilization and development as well as how the State is responding to the mass surrender of repentant terrorists.
Other speakers from different countries shared experiences and knowledge peculiar to the communities in the Lake Chad countries.
Government officials that attended the conference include the State’s Commissioner of Women Affairs, Zuwaira Gambo, Special Adviser on Security, Brig-Gen. Abdullahi Ishaq (rtd) and the Governor’s Adviser and Coordinator, Sustainable Development, Partnership and Humanitarian Support, Dr. Mairo Mandara.
Mandara, during the two-day conference made presentations on how to sustain the development and humanitarian support to repentant insurgents and IDP returnees.
