Nigeria: France, Nigeria to Sign Defence Deal in Anti-Boko Haram Fight

France and Nigeria are to sign a military cooperation deal in the next few months, following the signing of a letter of intention when Presidents François Hollande and Muhammadu Buhari during an international conference on fighting the Boko Haram in Abuja this weekend. Hollande promised to launch an aid project in the Lake Chad region, where the armed Islamist group is now based.

Hollande and Buhari signed the letter of intention ahead of Saturday's summit.

It opens the way for a defence cooperation deal that will target terrorism and marine piracy.

It will mean French soldiers sharing expertise, such as reading satellite images, and will guarantee that, if they are prosecuted, they will face a court in France, not in Nigeria.

Hollande dubbed Boko Haram, which has declared allegiance to the Islamic State armed group, "the most murderous terrorist group in the world".