Switzerland denies funding Multi-National Joint Task Force in Nigeria

The government of Switzerland has denied granting financial support to the Multi-National Joint Task Force, MNJTF, in the fight against Boko Haram.

This came as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir David Lawal, said the war against Boko Haram had assumed a dangerous trend that required collective efforts and vigilance.

Switzerland was listed among the countries that pledged about $250 million to fund the 8,700-strong regional task force.

A statement by Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, FDFA, said the country maintained neutrality in conflicts.

The Swiss government stated “as a neutral actor in conflict situations, Switzerland has never given financial support to military interventions and will abstain from doing so in the future.”

Empasising its commitment in brokering peace, the country said it had spent about $12 million in assisting those affected by Boko Haram crisis.

It said: “Switzerland’s historic commitment to humanitarian aid, the protection of individuals and the promotion of peace is known throughout the world.

“To date, Switzerland allocated close to $12 million to mitigate the affected population’s suffering from the Boko Haram crisis in the region. Most resources have been granted to protection and food security/nutrition-related programmes in neighbouring countries (Niger, Cameroon) to multilateral partners (WFP, UNHCR, ICRC) and NGOs (International Rescue Committee, COOPI, Croix-Rouge française).”