The Minister of Defence, Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi (rtd), has described the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari alongside other African leaders to troubled Mali as a vista of hope to end the crisis in the country.
The Special Assistant Media and Publicity to the Minister, Mohammad Abdulkadri, in a statement on Friday, said the minister made the statement on his arrival from Mali where he accompanied the president.
Magashi said that peace was paramount in nation building, adding that peace was a collective civic responsibility of all citizens.
He described the search for peace in Mali by African leaders, of which Buhari is playing a very crucial role, as a needed boost to the efforts of the former President Goodluck Jonathan ECOWAS-led mediation committee.
The minister said that the security situation in Bamako was under control, adding that the trip to Mali by Buhari had further strengthened bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
According to him, the visit has further confirmed the leadership role of the country in Africa as well as in promoting global peace.
“The visit of the President Buhari to Mali is no doubt a bold step by the Nigerian leader to reiterate Nigeria’s leadership position in the affairs of ECOWAS,” he said. (NAN)
