UN, Nigerian leaders meet on fighting extremist group

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari exchanged views on the fighting against the extremist group Boko Haram in the West African country, a UN spokesman told reporters here Thursday.

The meeting took place late Wednesay on the sidelines of the annual high-level debate of the UN General Assembly, which opened here Tuesday and runs through Sept. 26, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said here.

"The two leaders discussed efforts by Nigeria and the Multi-national Joint Task Force (MNJTF) against Boko Haram in the northeast of the country," Dujarric said.

Boko Haram has been blamed for some 20,000 deaths in Nigeria since 2009.

"The secretary-general reiterated the UN's continued support for those efforts and underscored the need to ensure full respect of human rights, international humanitarian and refugee law in all operations," he said.

During the meeting, the secretary-general commended the president's efforts against corruption and insecurity and to promote economic development, said the spokesman.

"The secretary-general thanked President Buhari for Nigeria's invaluable contribution to international peace and security, including political mediation in the region," he added. Enditem