By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa, has met with the Chief of Staff of the Nigerien Armed Forces, General Moussa Salaou Barmou where both parties agreed to forge a common goal towards deepening the fraternal bilateral relationship between Nigeria and Niger.
At the meeting in Niamey the capital of Niger on Wednesday, both West African nations looked into avenues to explore opportunities towards the enhancement of security cooperation.
“They emphasised the need for maintaining and expanding existing cooperations, including joint military operations, intelligence sharing, and tactical coordination”, Nigeria’s Defence spokesman Brigadier General Tukar Gusau said in a statement.
Both parties recognised the importance of sustained dialogue and collaboration in addressing mutual security challenges and strengthening the strategic partnership between Nigeria and Niger, the statement added.
It stated further, “The Defence Chiefs acknowledged the significant impact of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons on security. They also recognized that the widespread accessibility of these weapons contributes to heightened instability and conflict in the region.
“They further agreed to intensify their efforts in curbing the illicit flow of small arms and light weapons, while pledging to collaborate on initiatives aimed at enhancing border security and supporting regional and international efforts to control and reduce the spread of these weapons.
“Consequently, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to resuming and strengthening collaboration, with a view to ensuring regional stability and security, reaffirmed that Nigeria is universally known for adherence to its principle of good neighbourliness and would not be used to destabilise Niger or any of Nigeria’s contiguous countries, Niger affirmed its readiness to resume active participation in security cooperation under the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJT).
“The Chief of Staff of the Nigerien Armed Forces has also accepted the invitation from the CDS to visit Nigeria, where they will finalize the modalities of the cooperation agreed upon, while agreeing on the creation of a Nigerien advisory group to interface with its Nigerian counterpart, with the view to addressing the various issues of mutual concern as well as sustain lines of communications between both countries. It was also agreed that the Advisory Groups should have a joint mandate of developing measures towards strengthening bilateral relationships.”
Heritage Times HT reports that the junta-led Niger has faced security concerns, especially terror-related threats like the neighbouring Nigeria.
Both countries have formed a synergy against ISIS-backed Boko Haram Islamist group which has displaced thousands of persons in both countries over a decade and held territories.
