Kerry Warns Against Violent Elections in Nigeria

John Kerry with President Goodluck Jonathan

We need not have violence because of elections...

Kerry warns Nigeria against post-poll violence

In a rare high-level visit to Africa's most populous country, US Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday urged Nigeria's leading presidential candidates to refrain from fomenting violence after next month's vote, and he condemned savage attacks by Boko Haram, an al-Qaeda-linked insurgency.

On a day when Nigerian troops battled extremists who attacked Maiduguri, the biggest city in the north-east, Kerry played down reports that the US had grown frustrated with Nigeria's military commitment to fighting the radical Islamist movement.

Kerry said the US was sharing intelligence with Nigeria and stood ready to do more if the February 14 election proceeded in a nonviolent, democratic fashion.

“The United States is deeply engaged with Nigeria,” he said.

“Does it always work as well as we would like or as well as the Nigerians would like? The answer is no.”

Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan said he reaffirmed a strong commitment to working with the United States “to put an end to global terrorism and particularly Boko Haram.”

“I firmly believe that enhancing and expanding various channels of cooperation between our two countries, in the context of growing international coordination, are of the utmost importance,” Jonathan said in a statement following the meeting.

“I discussed a number of ideas with Secretary Kerry to move such cooperation forward.”

Kerry was in the country's commercial capital, Lagos, about 1 000 miles south-west from the skirmishes that killed more than 200 combatants.In a rare high-level visit to Africa's most populous country, US Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday urged Nigeria's leading presidential candidates to refrain from fomenting violence after next month's vote, and he condemned savage attacks by Boko Haram, an al-Qaeda-linked insurgency.

On a day when Nigerian troops battled extremists who attacked Maiduguri, the biggest city in the north-east, Kerry played down reports that the US had grown frustrated with Nigeria's military commitment to fighting the radical Islamist movement.

Kerry said the US was sharing intelligence with Nigeria and stood ready to do more if the February 14 election proceeded in a nonviolent, democratic fashion.

“The United States is deeply engaged with Nigeria,” he said.

“Does it always work as well as we would like or as well as the Nigerians would like? The answer is no.”

Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan said he reaffirmed a strong commitment to working with the United States “to put an end to global terrorism and particularly Boko Haram.”

“I firmly believe that enhancing and expanding various channels of cooperation between our two countries, in the context of growing international coordination, are of the utmost importance,” Jonathan said in a statement following the meeting.

“I discussed a number of ideas with Secretary Kerry to move such cooperation forward.”

Kerry was in the country's commercial capital, Lagos, about 1 000 miles south-west from the skirmishes that killed more than 200 combatants.In a rare high-level visit to Africa's most populous country, US Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday urged Nigeria's leading presidential candidates to refrain from fomenting violence after next month's vote, and he condemned savage attacks by Boko Haram, an al-Qaeda-linked insurgency.

On a day when Nigerian troops battled extremists who attacked Maiduguri, the biggest city in the north-east, Kerry played down reports that the US had grown frustrated with Nigeria's military commitment to fighting the radical Islamist movement.

Kerry said the US was sharing intelligence with Nigeria and stood ready to do more if the February 14 election proceeded in a nonviolent, democratic fashion.

“The United States is deeply engaged with Nigeria,” he said.

“Does it always work as well as we would like or as well as the Nigerians would like? The answer is no.”

Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan said he reaffirmed a strong commitment to working with the United States “to put an end to global terrorism and particularly Boko Haram.”

“I firmly believe that enhancing and expanding various channels of cooperation between our two countries, in the context of growing international coordination, are of the utmost importance,” Jonathan said in a statement following the meeting.

“I discussed a number of ideas with Secretary Kerry to move such cooperation forward.”

Kerry was in the country's commercial capital, Lagos, about 1 000 miles south-west from the skirmishes that killed more than 200 combatants.

Source: iol