It is a great pleasure for me to be in Ndjamena, on an official visit, within the first week of my assumption of office as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.I want to extend my profound gratitude to my brother and friend, His Excellency Idriss Deby Itno, President of the Republic of Chad and indeed, the people of Chad for according me an elaborate and generous African welcome.
I also want to thank President Deby for visiting me before my inauguration and more importantly, for being present at my swearing-in ceremony in Abuja on 29th May 2015.I regard these acts as eloquent demonstration of true friendship and brotherliness that exist between our countries’ and people
Your Excellency, I am in Ndjamena today to convey to you, your Government and the people of Chad, Nigeria’s profound appreciation of the invaluable support you have rendered in the fight against insurgency and sustained acts of terrorism in the north east of my country. Your troops have stood shoulder-to-shoulder and fought gallantly with ours, in the fight against the forces of evil. This is a remarkable show of good neighborliness, which we must reinforce in the years ahead.
It is for this reason, that I have committed myself to work for the security, peace, prosperity and stability of our region. In this regard, I cannot over emphasize the importance of cooperation and collaboration in tackling our common challenges, particularly in the areas of security and economic development. This is because security and development are mutually reinforcing.
Your Excellency, permit me to note that our security is intricately linked. This compels us to cooperate fully on security issues in a robust and sustained manner. To this end, we must redouble our efforts to operationalize the Multi-National Joint Task Force with its Headquarters in Ndjamena. I believe the Task Force will stabilize the areas that have been ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency when it becomes fully operational. I am very confident that, Insha Allah, this insurgency will be brought to an end soon.
A sad consequence of the insurgency is the harrowing images of our citizens, beamed across the globe, who have been forced to flee their homes and livelihood in search of safety and succor. We must restore their dignity and give them the comfort they need.
But, while work to solve our security challenge, we must recognize that this can only be a foundation for meeting the economic needs and welfare of our people. In this regard, my expectation is that we must unleash our full potential and work assiduously to turn the Lake Chad Basin Commission into a veritable agent of development.
Nigeria and Chad are bound by nature. This imposes on us the responsibility of finding appropriate synergy in dealing with an array of issues, notably effective border management, migration, and movement of goods, people and services.
At the regional and international level, we will need to strengthen our collaboration and consultation on issues of common interest. I am pleased to note that Nigeria and Chad are both members of the African Union Peace and Security Council, as well as the United Nations Security Council. This is an opportunity for us to lend mutual diplomatic support to each other. Indeed, our officials must consult more regularly.
Your Excellency, I will return to Nigeria with the assurance that Nigeria and Chad are poised to consolidate and deepen their cooperation.
May I therefore, once again, thank you for your friendship, hospitality and warmth that you have generously displayed during my short but memorable visit to your country.
I thank you!
FINAL COMMUNIQUE
At the invitation of His Excellency IDRISS DEBY ITNO, President of the Republic of Chad, His Excellency MUHAMMADU BUHARI, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, accompanied by a high level delegation, paid official and friendly visit to the Republic of Chad on the 4th June 2015. He was welcomed at the Hassan Djamouss International Airport by the President of the Republic assisted by all the Constituted Bodies.
Both Heads of State had discussions which were later expanded to include their respective delegations. These discussions focused not only on bilateral issues, but also on regional and international issues and more especially the security situation in the sub-region.
Their Excellencies IDRISS DEBY ITNO and MUHAMMADU BUHARI strongly condemned the inhumane terrorist acts perpetrated on civilians in Nigeria and in its neighboring countries by Boko Haram insurgents. They underlined the consequences of insecurity which include displacement of people and disruption of their trading activities, livelihood, and destruction of lives and properties in Nigeria and the entire Lake Chad region.
Both Heads of State expressed their willingness and commitment to collaborate at all levels to make more effective the common fight against the Boko Haram sect and restore peace and security which are vital for development in the region.
His Excellency President MUHAMMADU BUHARI expressed his gratitude to His Brother and Friend, His Excellency President IDRISS DEBY ITNO for the vital role his country played to weaken this sect. Thereafter, he condoled the families of Chadian soldiers who passed away in the battle field, and paid special tribute to the gallant soldiers.
President IDRISS DEBY ITNO commended the commitment of President MUHAMMADU BUHARI to eradicating the Boko Haram terrorist group. He also reaffirmed the commitment and availability of Chad to collaborate with Nigeria on both bilateral and multilateral levels. In this regard, His Excellency President IDRISS DEBY INTO agreed with the need to move quickly to make the Multinational Joint Task Force operational in order to restore peace and security in the north-east of Nigeria and everywhere Boko Haram operates. In this vein, the two Leaders called on the International Community to provide LCBC and neighboring countries with all necessary support.
Both Heads of State agreed that war on Boko Haram should be supported by emergency development initiatives in areas affected by this insurgency group. This will be the only way to overcome the harmful effects faced by local populations.
President MUHAMMADU BUHARI expressed his profound gratitude and sincere thanks to His Brother and Friend, His Excellency IDRISS DEBY ITNO, His Government and the good people of Chad for the warm and elaborate welcome granted to him and his delegation.
Issued in N’Djamena, 4th June 2015
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