The Nigerian military has sent thousands of extra troops to try to dislodge well-armed Boko Haram fighters from territory they control in remote semi-deserts around Lake Chad, along the borders with Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
A 24-hour curfew had been imposed since Saturday over large parts of the city of Maiduguri and other parts of Borno state, at the heart of the Boko Haram insurgency. The curfew had raised fears of a humanitarian crisis if food supplies were unable to get through.
But Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, a spokesman for Nigerian forces in Borno, said the curfew had been relaxed and would start at 6 p.m. and end at 7 a.m.. He declined to give further details.
Traffic remained at a trickle in Maiduguri, as many frightened residents remained in their homes.
President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency on Tuesday in the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, sending thousands of extra troops to the region. The operation has targeted areas of Africa's top energy producer where Boko Haram has established bases and weapons dumps. War planes were used to destroy some bases in remote rural areas on Friday.
The sect is fighting to carve out an Islamist state in Nigeria, a country of 170 million people where around half are Christians and the other half Muslims. Thousands have been killed since Boko Haram launched its uprising in 2009.
Jonathan offered an amnesty on Sunday to any Boko Haram militants who lay down their weapons and surrender, although analysts say the state of emergency will further complicate efforts to resolve the conflict through dialogue.
He has won support for taking decisive action, although many doubt whether Boko Haram, adept at going into hiding under pressure then resurfacing, can be defeated militarily. Continued...
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