After the terrifying reports of massacres from Boko Haram in Nigeria, including children used in kamikaze attacks, the president of the S&D Group, Gianni Pittella, called for a strong response from Europe and the international community:
"Whether in Europe or Nigeria, we have to defend the values of democracy against terrorism and extremism. What is it going on in Nigeria is terrifying on a human level but also on a political level. The Nigerian institutions have asked for our help and we cannot remain deaf.
"Now more than ever, after the terrible events in Paris, the European Union must be the frontrunner in providing practical support to defending democracy in Nigeria, starting with the next elections. We cannot repeat the errors of the past made in the Middle East and north Africa. We cannot leave one of the main African countries alone facing terrorists who make inhumanity their strength. The European Union and the whole international community should realise that we are facing a global threat, requiring a global reaction."
