[Yahoo] Tens of thousands of people marched in N'Djamena on Saturday in support of Chadian soldiers heading to Nigeria and Cameroon to fight against Boko Haram. Marching some three miles through Chad's capital city, demonstrators waved the national flag and chanted in French and Arabic, "Kick the forces of evil out of our territory."Prime Minister Kalzeube Pahimi Deubet said the march sends "a strong signal, a warning to Boko Haram".
A huge convoy set off from N'Djamena to combat the Islamists currently terrorizing northeastern Nigeria and northern Cameroon. Thousands of locals cheered the arrival of some 400 vehicles in the Cameroonian border town of Kousseri.
Boko Haram recently launched an assault on the strategic town of Baga on the banks of Lake Chad, which straddles the borders of Chad, Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon. Chad is part of a regional force against Boko Haram that was based in Baga, but both Chad and Niger had withdrawn their troops before the attack.
Chadian President Idriss Deby said, "Cameroon must not be left alone to face this threat that has so hurt innocent people in Cameroon and in Nigeria," calling for a "broad coalition" to fight Boko Haram.
But Nigeria expressed lukewarm support for the Chad mission. Nigerian army spokesman Chris Olukolade said, "All support for our operations will be welcome, but it must conform with our own ongoing operations."