{"id":107218,"date":"2023-08-23T18:11:49","date_gmt":"2023-08-23T17:11:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=107218"},"modified":"2023-08-23T18:11:49","modified_gmt":"2023-08-23T17:11:49","slug":"uk-nigeria-defence-ministers-meet-over-niger-crisis-to-deepen-defence-cooperation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/uk-nigeria-defence-ministers-meet-over-niger-crisis-to-deepen-defence-cooperation\/","title":{"rendered":"UK, Nigeria Defence Ministers meet over Niger crisis, to deepen defence cooperation"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"m#msg-f:1775037890268322337\" class=\"mail-message expanded\">\n<div class=\"mail-message-header spacer\" style=\"text-align: justify;\">UK\u2019s Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey MP, arrived in Nigeria this week to meet top defence leaders and military chiefs, to deepen defence cooperation between both countries and discuss the situation in Niger.<\/div>\n<div class=\"mail-message-content collapsible zoom-normal mail-show-images \" style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<div class=\"clear\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">\nDuring his visit, Minister Heappey met senior leaders on Wednesday within the Nigerian Ministry of Defence, as well as the Chief of Defence Staff (General Christopher Musa) and Chief of Army Staff (Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja).<\/p>\n<p>They include the Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, Minister of State Defence, Bello Matawalle and principal officials of Nigeria\u2019s Ministry of Defence.<\/p>\n<p>He also met with the President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, where he reiterated the UK\u2019s support for ECOWAS\u2019 ongoing diplomatic efforts to ensure a peaceful return to democracy in Niger.<\/p>\n<p>Defence Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey MP, said: \u201cI\u2019m delighted to return to Nigeria for the third time in three years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe UK and Nigerian armed forces have a longstanding partnership through which we continue to tackle violent extremism and other security threats in West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea.<\/p><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n\u201cThe UK supports ECOWAS in calling for the peaceful restoration of constitutional order and democracy in Niger and we\u2019ll work with both ECOWAS and our partners across West Africa to support them in that aim.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The stated noted that Heappey stated that \u201cUK and Nigeria enjoy a deep and long-standing security and defence relationship, underpinned by a shared desire to support regional and international peace and security.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUK support to the Nigerian Armed Forces is a focus of the relationship, helping to build Nigerian capabilities to tackle security threats and instability.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNigeria is a key partner in promoting regional security and countering violent extremism in West Africa, including the Lake Chad Basin.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Nigerian Armed Forces are a leading contributor to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), showing the resolve of its constituent nations to deliver security in the region.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe UK recognises Nigeria\u2019s diplomatic mediation efforts to peacefully restore democracy in Niger, through its membership of ECOWAS, and condemns in the strongest possible terms the ongoing coup against Niger\u2019s elected-leadership.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe stand with ECOWAS in condemnation of the illegal detention of President Mohamed Bazoum, his family, and members of the government, as well as the unacceptable conditions under which they are being held, and call for their immediate release.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mail-message-footer spacer collapsible\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>UK\u2019s Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey MP, arrived in Nigeria this week to meet top defence leaders and military chiefs, to deepen defence cooperation between both countries and&hellip;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":107219,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-107218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - 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