UN calls for calm in Nigeria

United Nations (UN) secretary-general Antonio Guterres has condemned the recent killing of villagers in Nigeria’s Borno State, which killed up to 60 people according to Nigerian media reports and aid worker eye-witness accounts, and called for those responsible to be held accountable.

The deaths followed an attack by Boko Haram on the village of Malairi on Sunday.

“The secretary-general remains deeply concerned about the persisting violence in the Lake Chad Basin region,” said his spokesperson. “He commends national and regional initiatives to bring peace and stability to the area and to address the root causes of the conflict.”

The Lake Chad Basin region includes Cameroon, Chad and Niger, as well as Nigeria.

The Boko Haram insurgency began in northeastern Nigeria nearly a decade ago, spilling over the border to the neighbouring countries. The group’s activities, which include abductions and forcing captives to serve as suicide bombers, have displaced about 10 million people, as of 2017.

The secretary-general again called on the international community to increase support to regional efforts to fight the militants, which include the establishment of a multinational joint task force.