African presidents create $87m emergency fund to fight Boko Haram

Presidents from the 10-Nation Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC) pledged in an extraordinary meeting to create an 87 million dollars emergency fund to fight the Islamist militant group Boko Haram.

Gabon's President Ali Bongo, who attended the one-day summit in Cameroon, said he and his counterparts from the CEEAC have decided to create an emergency fund 87 million dollars to fight Boko Haram.

He said the insurgents have killed thousands and kidnapped hundreds in a five-year insurgency in northern Nigeria.

Bongo said the militants have recently intensified cross-border raids on neighboring countries in the Lake Chad area.

Meanwhile, Cameroon's army said on Tuesday in Yaoundé that it has killed at more than 100 fighters from the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram in heavy fighting in the country's Far North region.

Joseph Nouma, The Operation Commander, said the army had sent a reconnaissance team to Gnam-Gnam at about 4 kilometres from the Nigerian border and the soldiers were ambushed by the terrorists.

He said immediately reinforcements were sent in and the fighting lasted for about two hours.

Nouma said the army killed more than 100 insurgents and lost five of its own soldiers, with eight others wounded.

Cameroon's Defence Ministry said his men has killed more than 2,000 Boko Haram fighters since the group started crossing the border from Nigeria to stage attacks two years ago.

He said hundreds of others have been jailed.