Nigeria's president revamps military forces fighting Boko Haram

(The Christian Science Monitor) In his inauguration speech, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said that Boko Haram is the country's most immediate threat and pledged to Nigeria and its neighbors that he would prioritize the fight against the Islamist militants. 

“Our neighbors in the sub-region and our African brethren should rest assured that Nigeria under our administration will be ready to play any leadership role that Africa expects of it,” he told a crowd at Abuja’s Eagle Square last Friday.

During his first week in office, Buhari has pursued that goal. He announced that the command base of a counterinsurgency force would move from the capital to Maiduguri, a northern city known as the birthplace of Boko Haram. Nigeria is talking to U.S. diplomats and military chiefs about rebuilding a relationship after butting heads with the previous administration. And Buhari has made his first state visits to Niger and Chad, which are part of a regional joint military force fighting Boko Haram.