Cameroon reopens Far North Nigeria border

Cameroon is reopening its border with Nigeria in the Far North region because the threat of attacks by Boko Haram militants subsided sufficiently to resume commercial activities, according to the region’s governor.

“At this stage in the crisis, we are confident to declare that the insecurity caused by Boko Haram is firmly under control,” Governor Midiyawa Bakari said by phone on Tuesday from Maroua, the regional capital.

“The efforts of defense and security forces, as well as the remarkable contributions by self-defense groups, have paid off enough to permit the reopening of the closed markets and the land border with Nigeria.”

Schools will also resume teaching when the new academic year starts in September, Bakari said.

Cameroon closed the border amid at least 200 attacks by the Nigeria-based militant organization which killed as many as 480 people since July 2015, according to Amnesty International.

The attacks have forced over 33,000 pupils to abandon schooling, the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund said.