President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Babagana Kingibe as his Special Envoy to Chad and the Lake Chad Basin Region.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, disclosed this in a statement on Monday night.
Mahamat Déby’s emergence as Chadian leader after his father’s death had thrown the country into political instability, with the army now in charge through the transitional military council.
According to Mustapha, Kingibe’s appointment is to help promote peace in the country and its region.
The SGF said the Special Envoy will, among other things, monitor developments in Chad and the Lake Chad Basin Region; aid reconciliation, and seamless progress towards a return to democratic rule at the end of the current Transitional Military Council’s rule.
“The Special Envoy will amongst others: Monitor developments in Chad and the Lake Chad Basin Region; aid reconciliation and seamless progress towards a return to democratic rule at the end of the current Transitional Military Council’s rule,” the statement reads.
“The special envoy is also expected to collaborate with member countries and partners in the region with similar initiatives to restore stability, promote peace and, security; and promote any other initiative ancillary to the restoration of peace and security in Chad, North-East Nigeria, and the Lake Chad Basin Region.
“President Buhari has by this appointment demonstrated the determination of Nigeria to lead regional security efforts that will stabilize the Lake Chad Basin Region, bring peace to Chad and ultimately eliminate the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East zone of Nigeria.
“This is also a fulfillment of the President’s promise to General Mahamat Deby Itno, the President of the Transitional Military Council of Chad, to support a seamless progress towards a return to democratic rule when he visited Nigeria in May 2021,” Mustapha said.
He added that Kingibe, a former SGF, is an accomplished multi-lingual diplomat who has participated in previous Nigeria-led reconciliation talks on Chad.
