Chadian President Idris Derby on Wednesday said the Boko Haram sect has a new leader who is willing to negotiate with the authorities to end the insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives in the West African region.

Although he would not give details of the whereabouts of the well known leader of the insurgents, Abubakar Shekau, the Chadian leader identified the new leader of the fundamentalist sect as Mahamat Daoudu.

According to reports on BBC, he said Daoudu had already indicated his willingness to end the insurgency.

“There is someone apparently called Mahamat Daoudu who is said to have replaced Abubakar Shekau and he wants to negotiate with the Nigerian government,” For my part I would advise not to negotiate with a terrorist,” Derby said.

Addressing reporters in the Chadian capital, N’Djamena during the country’s 55th Independence ceremonies, Derby said the rapid onslaught on the militants by troops from the affected country has weakened their ability to wreck havoc and had reduced them to carrying out sporadic attacks showing their desperation.

“Boko Haram is decapitated. There are little groups scattered throughout east Nigeria, on the border with Cameroon. It is within our power to definitively overcome Boko Haram. The war will be short, with the setting up of the regional force, it will be over by the end of the year,” Derby assured.

The former Boko Haram leader, Shekau, in several videos released on social media in the past had vigorously rejected the notion of negotiations with the authorities.

While reacting to an overture of amnesty by the past Goodluck Jonathan administration, Shekau had insisted that it was the government that required amnesty rather than members of the sect.

Shekau took over as the group’s leader after the founder, Muhammad Yusuf, died in police custody in July 2009.

Shekau had celebrated the sect’s violent attacks in the past, vowing that the attacks would continue until the group’s demand of the establishment of an Islamic caliphate was met.

He had also vowed that the more than 200 Chibok schoolgirls abducted in April 2014 would be married off.

The last time he came out a video recording was in March when he released an audio message pledging allegiance to the Islamic State .
Earlier in the month, a video of an unidentified young man, speaking in Hausa but with a Kanuri accent and claiming to be speaking on behalf of the Islamic State in West Africa, had appeared in the social media.

He had assured listeners that the campaign of terror was yet to end and that the militants were still in control.

Boko Haram has already sworn allegiance to ISIS in an attempt many see as a military tactic to curry support from the much deadlier terrorist organization.

President Muhammadu Buhari has indicated willingness to negotiate with the sect, particularly on the release of the Chibok girls, on the condition that only credible members of the group come forward.

A previous prisoner-swap attempt by the past administration was unsuccessful.