Boko Haram affected areas

Boko Haram and Islamic State (IS) were jointly responsible for 51% of all claimed global terror fatalities in 2014, with Boko Haram taking over IS as the worldХs deadliest terror group with 7 500 deaths last year. This is according to a new report indicating terrorism is at its highest level ever.

"They will take advantage of the end of the rainy season now to really go after them," said Mohamed Ibn Chambas, U.N. Special Representative for West Africa Й The 8,700-strong joint force, headquartered in Chad's capital N'Djamena with troops from Chad, Niger, Benin, Nigeria and Cameroon, was supposed to be fully functional in July.

American soldiers have begun training units of Niger's army at the edge of the Sahara Desert, in what a U.S. official calls a Тnew waveУ of military support for African states battling Boko Haram militants.

In a letter to Congress, Mr. Obama said that the troops would provide Тintelligence, surveillance and reconnaissanceУ in the region. The White House press secretary, Josh Earnest, said that the troops would be armed for their protection but that they would not engage in combat.

The humanitarian fallout from the violence inflicted by Boko Haram is the fastest growing crisis in Africa, a senior United Nations relief official warned today, appealing for concerted action on the humanitarian, security and development fronts to tackle the situation.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari called on France to provide more intelligence and air support in the fight against the Boko Haram Islamist armed group when he met French leader FranЌois Hollande this week, he told RFI on Wednesday. A Franco-Nigerian high command is to be set up, RFI understands.

The Nigerian military on Wednesday said it has destroyed all known Boko Haram terrorists' camps and cells in the North East.

Cameroon has pledged to provide 2,450 troops to join the multinational force to combat Boko Haram. The country has also named General Nka Valere as deputy to the commander of the force.

The Nigerian-based Islamist militant group Boko Haram has a new leader, Chad's President Idriss Deby says. He did not say what had happened to Abubakar Shekau, but said he had been replaced by Mahamat Daoud - who has not been heard of before.

Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, has appointed Nigerian-born Major General Iliya Abbah as new commander of the 8,700-strong N'Djamena-based Multinational Joint Task Force set up by the African Union to fight Boko Haram.