1st LD Writethru: Chadian troops arrives in Cameroon to fight Boko Haram

A contingent of Chadian paratroopers have arrived in Maroua, capital of Cameroon's Far- North Region, to support the Cameroonian army in its fight against Nigerian Islamic sect Boko Haram, an army source told Xinhua on Friday.

"The Chadian troop arrived yesterday (Thursday) evening in Maroua with helicopters. The troop includes paratroopers and is led by a general," said the source who requested anonymity.

The Chadian paratroopers, whose number is not disclosed, began their mission to support the Cameroonian army to fight Boko Haram militants on Friday in Mokola, a town in the Far-North Region.

The arrival of Chadian troops was announced in a statement released Thursday evening by Cameroonian Communication Minister Issa Bakary Tchiroma, who said the deployment was underway.

In the statement, Cameroonian President Paul Biya hailed "a warm gesture of brotherhood and solidarity that is part of the ongoing commitment of the two heads of state for stability, peace and security of their countries and their people."

French President Francois Hollande had a meeting with five heads of state of the sub-region, including Biya and Chadian President Idriss Deby, on May 17, 2014. The meeting adopted an action plan to combat the Nigerian Islamic group. The plan includes exchange of information, border surveillance, military presence around Lake Chad and response capacity in case of danger. Endi