The Borno I found today is a Borno of hope - UN Secretary-General

"The Borno I found today is a Borno of hope. It’s a Borno with future and I was very impressed to see the policy that is being applied here, recognizing that we don’t fight terrorism just by military means," said the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in Maiduguri on Tuesday, 3 May during a joint press briefing with the Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum.

Guterres said this after he visited two field locations, Bulukuntu rehabilitation facility and Gubio Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp.

He noted that the Borno State he heard about when he was the High Commissioner for Refugees and afterwards was a Borno State of terrorism, of violence, of displacement, of despair. "This is not the Borno that I found today." He said further, “The fact that I came to Borno State is symbolic of our priority to the world to fight terrorism and to create solutions for the victims of terrorism.”

The Secretary General said he was pleased to see "the policy that is being applied here, recognizing that we don’t fight terrorism just by military means. In fact, terrorism – addressing the root causes of terrorism – and the policy of the government, which is aiming at reestablishing fully the confidence between the people and the government is an essential element that I witnessed today being implemented in reality."  

Mr. Guterres acknowledged that it was absolutely essential to understand that, in a situation like this, it was not enough to provide humanitarian assistance.

"I am grateful to all those from the international community that have supported the people of Borno with humanitarian assistance." He added  

In his remarks, Governor Zulum appealed to the Secretary-General to continue supporting Borno in its reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement processes, as well as the reintegration of thousands of repentant Boko Haram terrorists back into the society.