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Nigeria and Boko Haram 'agree ceasefire' | Nigeria and Boko Haram 'agree ceasefire' |
(35 minutes later) | |
Nigeria's military says it has agreed a truce with Islamist militant group Boko Haram - and says the schoolgirls the group has abducted will be released. | |
Boko Haram sparked global outrage six months ago by abducting more than 200 schoolgirls. | |
Nigeria's chief of defence staff, Alex Badeh, announced the truce. Boko Haram has not made a public statement. | |
The military has struggled to defeat Boko Haram, an Islamist group that has fought an insurgency since 2009. | |
The girls were seized in the north-eastern town of Chibok, and their continued captivity has led to criticism of the Nigerian government's efforts to secure their release. | |
Air Chief Marshal Badeh revealed the truce at the close of a three-day security meeting between Nigeria and Cameroon. He said Nigerian soldiers would comply with the agreement. | |
'Cautiously optimistic' | |
Nigerian presidential aide Hassan Tukur told BBC Focus on Africa that the agreement was sealed after a month of negotiations, mediated by Chad. | |
As part of the talks, a government delegation twice met representatives of the Islamist group. | |
Mr Tukur said Boko Haram had announced a unilateral ceasefire on Thursday and the government had responded. | |
"They've assured us they have the girls and they will release them," he said. | |
"I am cautiously optimistic." | |
He said arrangements for their release would be finalised at another meeting next week in Chad's capital, Ndjamena. | |
The negotiations are said to have the blessing of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, reports the BBC's Chris Ewokor in Abuja. | |
Who are Boko Haram? | |
Who are Boko Haram? | |
Profile: Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau |