Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday departed Nigeria for Mali on a peace mission amid reports of renewed crisis and killings of locals in the southern region of Kaduna State by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
An official statement released by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, on Wednesday said the journey followed a briefing the President received on Tuesday from former President Goodluck Jonathan on the crisis in Mali.
“The Nigerian President and some ECOWAS leaders led by the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the sub-regional organisation, President Issoufou Mahamadou of Niger Republic, agreed to meet in Mali to engage in further consultations towards finding a political solution to the crisis in the country.
“Host President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Presidents Machy Sall of Senegal, Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana and Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire are expected to participate in the Bamako meeting.
“Former President Jonathan was at the State House in company with President of ECOWAS Commission, Mr Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, on Tuesday to brief President Buhari on the unfolding situation in Mali, necessitating the visit of ECOWAS leaders to consolidate on the agreements reached by various parties”, the statement said.
Adesina recalled that Buhari, had after listening to Jonathan on Tuesday, promised to ask for a briefing from the ECOWAS chairman.
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