Buhari in Chad for meeting of leaders of Sahel-Saharan States
Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) – Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, left Abuja on Saturday for N’Djamena, the Chadian capital, to participate in the Extraordinary Session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD).
Created by the Treaty of Tripoli on February 4, 1998, with six founding members, Nigeria joined the current 29-member regional economic community in 2001 which seeks mainly to create a free trade area in Africa, as well as “strengthen peace, security and stability, and achieve global economic and social development of its members.”
Delegations from 22 member-nations are expected at the extraordinary meeting of CEN-SAD holding on Saturday at the Radisson Blu Hotel, N’Djamena.
A statement by Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Garba Shehu, said that President Buhari and other regional leaders will join their host and current Chairperson of CEN-SAD Conference, President Idriss Deby Itno, “to deliberate among others on political and security issues, state of peace and ways to address multifaceted threats in CEN-SAD area, especially Boko Haram and refugees.
They are expected to make a declaration on the entry into force of CEN-SAD revised Treaty, intended to fast track the realisation of the objectives of the body.
The statement said that during the opening Session of the Conference, special Awards will be given to Heads of State and Military contingents in Mali, Sudan, Somalia, Central African Republic and in the Lake Chad Basin.
President Buhari is accompanied to the CEN-SAD meeting by the Governors of the Nigerian States of Borno, Lagos and Osun, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Interior and Defence, the National Security Adviser, Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Comptroller-General of Immigration and the Federal Commissioner for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons.
The President will return to the country at the end of the Conference on Saturday.
-0- PANA MON/VAO 13April2019
