Nigeria to withdraw troops from Mali

[Punch]

President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the withdrawal of Nigeria troops from the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali.

It was learnt that the President ordered the soldiers withdrawal because the UN removed Nigeria as the Force Commander of the UN mission and appointed a Rwandan.

Last month, the UN Secretary General UN, Ban Kin Moon announced the appointment of Maj. Gen. Jean Bosco Kazura of Rwanda as the new Force Commander of MINUSMA, in place of Nigeria's Major General Shehu Abdulkadir who was the force commander of African-led International Support Mission to Mali at inception.

AFISMA transformed to MINUSMA following UN intervention in the Mali crisis.

The Ivorien President and Chairman, Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS on Thursday confirmed the development to reporters at the end of the 43rd Ordinary Session in Abuja.

He, however, debunked insinuations that Nigeria was withdrawing its troops to protest its removal as the Force Commander.

Ouattara said, "That is not the true reason. It is because of the domestic situation in Nigeria. I received a letter from President Goodluck Jonathan that because of domestic situation in Nigeria, Nigeria needs some of its people. They are not withdrawing all, it is just a part."

 "We want to focus on economic integration for the welfare of the people. We have over 300 million people in West Africa; that is why we want to hold a special summit in Senegal in October to decide on a Common External Tariff so that we have a true customs union like the European Union."

In the communique issued at the end of the summit, the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government resolved to adopt a 15-member Commission with Burkina Faso as President and Liberia as the Vice.

The Authority also allocated the position of the Financial Controller to Nigeria before concluding that the next Summit would hold in Yamoussoukro in Cote d'Ivoire.

The Punch