Addis Ababa, 15 June 2015: The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, strongly condemns the suicide attacks perpetrated today against the Central Police Station of N'Djamena and the Police Academy of Chad, resulting in several deaths and injuries. She expresses the AU’s full solidarity with the people and Government of Chad. She presents her condolences to the bereaved families and wishes speedy recovery to those injured.

The Chairperson of the Commission stresses that this heinous attack highlights the need for the continuation and strengthening of the African action against the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism. In this regard, she welcomes the efforts being deployed by the countries of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) and Benin to fully operationalize the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) established to combat the Boko Haram terrorist group, including the conclusions of the Summit of the Heads of State of the region, held in Abuja, Nigeria, a few days ago. She welcomes the personal commitment of President Idriss Déby Itno and the invaluable contribution of the Government of Chad to the fight against the Boko Haram terrorist group, as well as its immense sacrifices.

The Chairperson of the Commission reaffirms the AU’s commitment to continue to support the efforts of the member countries of the LCBC and Benin, within the framework of the relevant decisions of the AU Peace and Security Council. In this context, the Commission will continue to pursue its efforts to mobilize the necessary financial and logistical support in order to completely neutralize the Boko Haram terrorist group.