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Nigerian Leader Visits Cameroon as Boko Haram Attacks


FILE - Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, July 20, 2015.
FILE - Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, July 20, 2015.

A Nigerian official says newly-elected President Muhammadu Buhari will make his first official visit to one-time enemy Cameroon Wednesday to ease tensions and bolster support for a regional army to fight the Boko Haram Islamic uprising spilling across borders.

Presidential spokesman Garba Shehu confirmed the trip which comes eight weeks after Buhari visited Niger and Chad in his first week in office. The two neighbors deployed troops to Nigeria to fight Boko Haram while Cameroon has sent thousands of troops to prevent the insurgents from escaping across Nigeria's border.

Nigeria's previous administration said Boko Haram was using Cameroon as a bolt-hole with impunity.

Suicide bombings and village attacks have killed hundreds in all four countries recently.

Tensions between Nigeria and Cameroon date back to a still-simmering 1980s territorial dispute.

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