When the leaders of the Group of Seven developed nations met for a two-day summit in Bavaria, Germany, their agenda included global terrorism, Ukraine and climate change.
With terrorism one of the talking points, it was not strange that the group invited President Muhammadu Buhari and several heads of governments from countries battling jihadists.
After the summit, the group released a statement on its resolution on each of the major topics discussed.
On terrorism, the G7 communique read: “In light of the Foreign Terrorist Fighters phenomenon, the fight against terrorism and violent extremism will have to remain the priority for the whole international community.
“In this context we welcome the continued efforts of the Global Coalition to counter ISIL/Daesh. We reaffirm our commitment to defeating this terrorist group and combatting the spread of its hateful ideology.”
They also pledged to “strengthen our coordinated action” against terrorism, including in the fight against “terrorist financing”.
Boko Haram had earlier in the year announced it was joining the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isil). It released an audio statement swearing allegiance to the movement’s leader.
The declaration means that Isis can add swaths of northern Nigeria to a self-declared caliphate that already stretches across Syria and Iraq. However, a regional force battling Boko Haram has reclaimed territories earlier taken by the Islamist sect group which is responsible for over 15,000 deaths.
Although, President Buhari’s tenure is less than a month old, it has already witnessed series of attacks. He had travelled to Germany with Kashim Shettima, Borno State governor, whose state is the epicentre of Boko Haram insurgency. He is expected to take decisive action against the sect as he seeks to end the six-year insurgency.
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