PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron said that France will step up cooperation with Nigeria after speaking with his counterpart, as the West African country faces a surge in abductions. Nigeria has been wracked by a wave of kidnappings in recent weeks, including the capture of over 300 school children two weeks ago that shook Africa's most populous country, already weary from chronic violence.
Macron wrote on X that the move came at Nigerian President Bola Tinubu's request, saying France "will strengthen our partnership with the authorities and our support for the affected populations", while urging other countries to "step up their engagement". "No one can remain a spectator" to what is happening in Nigeria, the French president said.
Nigeria has drawn heightened attention from Washington in recent weeks, after US President Donald Trump said in November that the United States was prepared to take military action there to counter the killing of Christians. US officials, while not contradicting Trump, have since instead emphasised other US actions on Nigeria including security cooperation with the government and the prospect of targeted sanctions. — AFP
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