Bahamas to raise Boko Haram assaults at CARICOM summit

NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) – The Bahamas says it intends to place on the agenda of the next Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of government meeting, the attacks by the Boko Haram militant Islamist group on Nigeria.

Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie, who is also chairman of the 15-member regional grouping, said that his country has already expressed “its profound sorrow and regret to the government of Nigeria over the loss of life in the wake of the recent attack by a terrorist group called Boko Haram”.

CARICOM leaders are due to meet here next month for their inter-sessional summit and Prime Minister Christie said “the Bahamas intends to place this issue on the next CARICOM meeting agenda as a show of solidarity among countries that respect peace and the dignity of human life”.

Christie said he had already instructed the country’s diplomatic mission in Havana “to communicate the country’s message of regret to the Nigerian Ambassador there”.

Meanwhile, a senior Roman Catholic official in Nigeria has accused the West of ignoring the threat posed by Boko Haram.

Catholic Archbishop of Jos, Ignatius Kaigama said the international community had to show the same spirit and resolve it had done after the attacks in France.

At least 23 people were killed by three female suicide bombers in Nigeria last weekend. The attacks came after reports that hundreds of people were killed last week during the capture by Boko Haram of the town of Baga in Borno state.

Archbishop Kaigama said that the slaughter in Baga had shown that the Nigerian military was unable to tackle Boko Haram.