Chad’s leader elected new Chair of Lake Chad Basin Commission

The Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) elected Tuesday Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, the President of the Transition Military Council of Chad, as its new Chairman in replacement of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari.
The commission gathered in Abuja at the 16th Summit of the Heads of State and Government.
Buhari, reports say, before handing the baton to the Chadian leader tasked the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in the Lake Chad Basin to exploit all necessary measures to see that terrorism ends in the region.
For the Nigerian leader the battle to stamp out Boko Haram terror group and other forms of threats in the region must remain sacrosanct, just as he assured the MNJTF of the support of the leaders of the region to the welfare and equipment of the troops.
“I must remind our gallant troops in the field, that ensuring the safety and stability of the region, we must recommit ourselves to sustaining the ongoing counter-terrorism war by providing you with the requisite needs to function optimally.
“That your welfare would continue to remain our priority can never be underscored. I urge you all to rededicate yourselves as we take the final push towards eradicating terrorism from our Region. Together, we shall restore and transform the Lake Chad Region to its former glory”.
Deby Itno’s choice to lead the commission came a few days after an attack on Chadian forces in Lake Chad province, near the border with Nigeria.
The attack, the Chadian government said, caused the death of dozens of soldiers. The government did not blame any group but analysts finger-pointed Boko Haram for the deadly assault.
The terror group based in Nigeria has been active around the lake namely in Cameroon, Nigeria and Chad.