Islamic militant group Boko Haram has expanded from its base in Nigeria to neighboring Cameroon, where its presence threatens to seriously hamper international development efforts for a very long time, according to a local politician.
“I think that right now, Boko Haram is probably bringing Cameroon and Nigeria to a point that’s going to determine at least the next 50, if not 100 years,” Kah Walla, president of the National Council of the Cameroon People’s Party, told members of the Cameroonian diaspora during a meeting on Saturday in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Walla, who is gearing up for a presidential run in 2018, added: “People don’t realize the extent of this crisis, how deep it is, and what kind of a determinant it is for these two countries.”
About the author
Jeff Tyson@jtyson21
Jeff is a former global development reporter for Devex. Based in Washington, D.C., he covers multilateral affairs, U.S. aid, and international development trends. He has worked with human rights organizations in both Senegal and the U.S., and prior to joining Devex worked as a production assistant at National Public Radio. He holds a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in international relations and French from the University of Rochester.
