UN Security Council appeals for regional approach to tackle Boko Haram threat in Central Africa

The UN Security Council on Wednesday appealed for regional approach to tackle security threats in Central Africa that posed by the extremist group Boko Haram as well as its humanitarian impacts on the region.

Juan Manuel Gonzalez de Linares, deputy permanent representative of Spain to the UN, told reporters here that the 15-nation council remains concerned by the security challenges in the region.

Speaking under Spain's presidency of the Security Council for this month, Gonzalez de Linares said that council members stressed the important role of preventive diplomacy and mediation efforts for peace and stability in Central Africa.

The Security Council made the appeal after Francois Lounceny Fall, UN envoy for Central Africa, told the council that Boko Haram remains a serious threat to regional stability and "its capacity to cause mayhem should not be underestimated."

Fall said though a multinational joint task force has reclaimed much of the territory controlled by Boko Haram, the group continues to carry out asymmetric attacks, mainly targeting civilians.

Therefore, he called for timely support for the Multinational Joint Task Force of the Lake Chad Basin countries in terms of finances, logistics and equipment to strengthen the force's operational capacity and maintain progress made.

"The complete eradication of the group will remain a long-term venture through sustained determination and vigilance, coupled with a holistic approach aimed at tackling the root causes of violent extremism, including marginalization and extreme poverty," he added.

Boko Haram is an Islamic extremist group based in northeast Nigeria, also active in Chad, Niger and northern Cameroon. Since the current insurgency started in 2009, it has killed 20,000 and displaced 2.3 million from their homes. Enditem