#Bringbackourgirls - Minister says "Don't give up Hope"

Nigeria's foreign minister said Tuesday that Abuja hopes to end the conflict with Islamist militant group Boko Haram soon and win the release of more than 200 kidnapped schoolgirls.

"I can say with some optimism, cautious optimism, that were are moving towards a situation where we'd be able to, in the very near future, to be able to get back our girls," Aminu Wali said in Berlin.

"There is a tremendous amount of improvement in terms of the discussions that are going on now and also the possibility of having total cessation of hostilities and at the same time bringing back the girls and also normalcy in that part of northern Nigeria."

Wali was speaking at press conference with German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier following government discussions on the conflict in Nigeria as well as areas of cooperation between the two countries.

In a surprise announcement on Friday, Nigeria said it had brokered a ceasefire deal with Boko Haram that would end their five-year uprising and bring home the 219 girls seized from the northeastern town of Chibok in April.

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