French President Emmanuel Macron Monday in the State House, Abuja encouraged President Muhammadu Buhari and other African leaders to provide enabling economic and political environments for young people, saying France cannot solve their problems.
The French President who stated this while answering questions on what assistance France could render to Nigeria over the violence being unleashed on citizens by herdsmen, said even though France would intervene in some of the challenges facing African countries especially in the war against terrorism, it is not the responsibility of France to solve African problems.
According to him, it is very important that African countries organise themselves in the fight against terrorism and get rid of Islamic jihad.
He said: “First of all, I think the main plan is an African plan and France is not the one to solve or fix African situations. So, what we want to do is that we will intervene and make our presence in Africa and Sahel to fight against terrorism especially in Mali and in the region. And we will stay as long as it is requested by our friends especially Mali.
"We discussed (Monday) about this issue. But what is important to me is how the difference African governments organise themselves to fight against terrorism and get rid of these people and especially jihadism.
"That’s is why I do accompany and do promote the G5/Sahel Initiatives and I think as far as we are organised, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon are very important. It's Boko Haram."
Macron also said it was imperative for African leaders to know the reason young people join different terrorist groups and put machinery in place to address it.
“Now, what we have to better understand ISIS, why many people are convinced to join these jihadists and these terrorists. That was what we discussed and this is the second part of your question, because of sometimes, it is economic and ethnic crisis. And that is why it is very important to build not just the security approach but the stabilisation approach at the same time, to provide new opportunities to these people and convoy two massages.
“Your governments will take care of you. I mean provide security and secondly, your governments can provide opportunities for you. And the best support is not to join crazy people and buy a bunch of guns and do crazy things. It is not opportunity to have any more opportunities. I think is very important.
“That is why I want to accompany different governments and leaders whose main objective is precisely to provide economic projects. I would say inclusive economic and cultural projects, where you provide the way for your young people to get education, jobs as well as to be proud of what you are. I think its extremely important.
“Because in a certain way, what we are experiencing today in Europe is also threatened by terrorism. That is moral crisis. That is cultural crisis. So, not just the issue about security, that for me, is the way to proceed,” he said.
In his own briefing, Buhari said they discussed issues bordering on security in the Sahel and thanked France for its support in the fight against terrorism.
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