>> good to have you with us. i'm david foster. this is a taste of some of what we've got coming up in the next 06 minutes. the another attempt of making peace in ukraine as more civilians are killed in the violence. as many as 300 migrants feared to have drowned in the mediterranean after trying to reach europe. thousands protest about houthi rebels in yemen as they follow the u.s. who close their embassy there is.

the european space agency testing technology for a reusable space plane. >> the leaders of france, germany, ukraine and russia have got together in the belarus capitol minsk. they're talking about the crisis in ukraine and trying to reach a peace deal after a peace agreement collapsed. rory challands with more on what the leaders hope to achieve at this meet approximating. we're talking about cease-fire lines. where to separate the ukrainian army and the separatests themselves. we're talking about things like

the border between russia and ukraine. who is going to make sure that border is not the conduit for weapons and men as the ukrainian government and western governments have been accusing russia of using that border for over the last year or so. and we're talking about self determination independence, autonomy for self-declared rubles. but it's not all these things. it's the secrets of them. how they're put in place, and how they're they happy and how a cease-fire put in place holds and delivers some meaningful situation by which a proper political settlement can occur. if they don't agree. if there is no deal, then we're in a very sticky situation. what has triggered this flurry of activity, this diplomatic burst of action that we've seen

over the last week is a real worry in europe and america of the united states as well. that this situation is getting out of control. and that it might possibly run into a wider conflict, a proper proxy war of the old fashioned sense. you used to see them in the 20th century where the west would back one side. russia would back the other. and there would be a fury unleashed in a country that is in the center of europe. if nothing is agreed to hear, we might see the situation where america, the united states, coming in and properly arming the ukrainian military. we might see russia unveiling it's hands and basically and openly supporting the separatists and possibly troops coming in across the border in a proper sense. that's what everyone is worried about. that is what these talks are trying to avert.

>> we're going nigerian state television. the man on your screens president goodluck jonathan with a media chat given the fact that elections have been postponed for six weeks. we're going to listen in to see what the current president has to say. >> the government, it's not the economy has not collapsed. everything is functioning. especially that we've been watching the campaigns between the political parties. very colorful campaigns.

i think the campaigns have issues we would make sure that that at all levels, we would make sure that vote--at the same time what is worrisome if you

want to have a look, you want to fight corruption there are people to fight corruption. >> we thank you. my colleagues before we came here we asked if there was an agenda. we're come hearing to ask you questions. i must tell that you we're here with questions. i talked with the driver who brought me from the airport today. i asked him what his thoughts were. he said he was confused.

he said why are the elections postponed. that is at every nigerian's minds. i asked what was the real reason for the change of the date. you would have heard reports from the media your position, you're of the opinion that you're in the election interests, and what do you have to say with regards to this? >> it is not fair to me, and i i did not want to change the date for the election. as far as the community, i sympathy with them. there are a lot of cases governments schedule elections

to extend tenure. thisin nigeria they make it clear that the elections will be conducted--within that period there would be issues that would declare the election body to adjust the date. you recall that in 2011 in the election i i was told that i made the election in two weeks. it was not discussed with me.

i don't decide the elections. i work with security services they need to carry the material, and they need to protect the staff and show peace and security in the country and also remember in 2011 when 2011, there are a lot of implications in the elections. the security services, who did not consult me, this is a period where i would link everything--

everything--the election is like any tournament that two countries want to play i don't see the big deal about. when people. >> what you're saying is the real reason is the same thing as when was said. >> of course. in 2011, they informed me and for me to move from my village.

>> thank you for this opportunity to ask you questions. i think the many reason nigeriaens are worried about this postponement of election is the reason given is that the postponement was the military was busy fighting in the northeast, so they would not be able to handle the election that . now they ask for six weeks. nigerians are saying that it was not won in six years. how could it be won in six

weeks. people are suspecting that there is mostly something in the whole postponement idea. >> well, thank you. it was about security. and to make everything known to everybody. there is no way they're going to disclose..

the factor in the country. for any security chief to review elections. this is how we're ready. after 2011, all nigerians who were interested in voting--62%

who vote, we're very hopeful that the movement.

one of the key problems that we're committed here in the african union the united nations would key in on everybody is doing is some kind ofkind--you move them back to

their communities. the communities run down by boko haram, we'll work with the communities. the in the next couple of weeks we'll move them, the areas

mountainous areas are difficult but we have more in the next 12 weeks or so, we'll see. the security is bond boko haram because within the period.

>> could it be also, sir i think at think at this point it may be higher, what you said now, you're telling us better equipment, better force to fight the boko haram issues and show some security. but that tension that you're talking about the security. >> you talked about the chairman of the independent and actually accused of chairman specifically has taken sides. and we have people who are very

close to you who have come out to say and be resigned and arrested. today there is a story all over that there is every likelihood that they might be removed. the question is this do you have confidence in conducting the 2015 general elections? are you contemplating any move at all to remove him? >> one thing about politics and in general you have a number of rules that support you. they didn't know what to do or

what they say making statements statements there were too many measures of those rules.

>> i was talking about the schedule. the schedule of the elections

people will be listening in the car or talking i come on television to. you get people who talk with ignorance. they are a professor. whether the elections are elections are 2012, 2011, some would say he came to my house. and everybody stop talking.

people supposedly properly enlightened, and to make a decision as to who governs them at all levels. what we see. >> this is what we need to hear from the horse's mouth i beg your pardon.

that's a benefit of the telecom sector i suppose. >> the president to assure the elections will be peaceful. mr. president, are you not worried about the level this thing is going?

and the speed the way politicians, including people in your party are going? >> i'm telling you when they criticize this and need to examine this election, it's beyond boko haram the president is protected by soldiers, not just police.

if they can get small children to do that i think we'll get it right. people get carried away.

the difference is that different actors are involved. this is the actors. even if you look at two key parties from 2003, 2007, 2011, the key actors around are different. some of the excesses because of the behavior of the key actors around the principle, if you look at me, i'm the sitting president. the difference between me and another candidate it is good.

i must protect the citizens. it is my responsibility to ensure peace.

>> if you have at least for now we'll let go. >> president president, i was going to ask you, do you feel when you hear people come out to say, for instance, like the ex-militant did if you did not return as president this year, they would go to war with nigeria. >> this does not come from both sides. i've told you that we'll make sure that nobody goes to war. nobody wants to go to war in nigeria. we have a country.

we want to protect this country. we cannot destroy this country. we cannot allow anybody to destroy the country. i'm the president of nigeria. we must work for this country. we cannot destroy this country. we must not destroy the country. >> i suppose what that means it thatis that your personal opinion,--

>> the stakes are higher for you. all nigerians are engaged because they have a telephone in their hand, and they can go online and check out information, but people must have the correct information. something that has been going on we've been seeing you in the newspapers going in for prayers. people wonter when are you going to the mosque. >> as a politician people invite you for all programs. of course, i'm a research, so i receive invitation almost on a daily basis. i may not be in islamic clerks don't invite me that much.

>> we take one question. >> i want to ask a question about the postponement as it relates to insurgentcy. the election is in six weeks. what happens if the insurgents are still there? that means that it did not work. should we expect another postponement? >> i don't want to cut you off. in 2011 when the elections were conducted, we had boko haram didn't we? boko haram they were operating

in 2009. at that time perpetrating in they were operating in the north. we conducted elections in 2009, and in 2011 we had barry boko haram issues. no one is saying we'll wipe out boko haram completely in order to have elections in this country. security-wise, this is what we'll do so we have the manpower and make sure that we conduct elections. serious advances will be made.

taking over territories and there is the work of boko haram. when they had territoryies that they were holding. thethe elections will be done in bits and the elections will hold. this will be held this year. >> i think the president is saying that.

>> when you campaigned in 2011, and you reached across religious and ethnic divides today and so many more how did you get support from across the country?

>> if guy to the left, there is enough there to realize-- >> the event with the nigerian president continues. we are going to go to nigerian correspondent. it seemed to me so far pretty much an exercise in making him look like a smiling trustworthy president come the elections whenever they may happen. he has not said anything particularly substantial other than i would say that we can't defeat boko haram within six weeks. >> well, that's right david. during this media chat, president onthan jonathan has said that the elections have been postponed for six weeks. the military at the 11th hour

just days before the elections would take place they couldn't provide security. they couldn't guarantee the security of voters and election personnel. president jonathan was asked about this in this media chat that is ongoing. he said that that statement by the chair of the electoral commission was based on the fact that he was not saying absolutely sure, meaning that president jonathan was not saying absolutely certainly but boko haram can be defeated in the six-week period given as an extension for the election. his words were long the lines that no one is saying that boko haram can be completely wiped out in the sex six weeks. the advantages would be made. in 2011 when the elections were held we did have a boko haram problem in the country and elections went ahead. he said that he does not see boko haram the reason for indefinitely putting off the

vote. >> he said the next six weeks serious advances will be made, we'll take over some of the territories but we can't get rid of all the people. give us an idea of boko haram there are thought to be in nigeria? well david the truth of the matter nobody knows how many members of the boko haram there are. there are no official statistics and figures and they're saying that there are members of the group. we have the regular videos that come out from the leader of the group. but the authorities here, maybe the military, the police, the intelligence services, they really don't have a handle of how many members of the group there are. sometimes they talk about hundreds. sometimes a couple of thousand. but nobody really has any reliable intelligence and statistics that can be

independently verified on just how large the group is. >> geographically yvonne, the boko haram program is largely confined to the north and northeast. correct me if i'm wrong on this one. goodluck jonathan is a man from the south. from the niger delta. is there a sense amongst some groups because he is not closely associated with that northeastern part of nigeria that he does not put it at the top of his list of priorities. >> that's the precise accusation of the opposition, and people who come from the northeast region. just to give you an idea of the landscape and territory, you have to remember that nigeria is a federation containing 36 different states. and the violence that we've seen perpetrated by boko haram have been meted out in three states out of the 36 in northeast and they are remote states.

they are difficult to get to. the infrastructure there is poor. and there has been the accusation against this president is that he has been detached and hayes been removed from the sufferings and the violence and the challenges that have faced the military and ordinary people in the region because he's not from there because it's a remote place, and even if you look at his political history and his political background, the opposition say this is not a man who knew nigeria. this is not a man who traveled nigeria. this is not a man who is familiar with different parts of the country before his rather quick rise to power. during the campaign we have seen he has, to be fair to him visited all the states but one that has been affected by boko haram. but the accusation from the opposition still stands. they say president goodluck jonathan does not care.

that's what they say he's not from there. he cannot relate to the people or relate to the history of the people and what's going on. >> thank you. let's go back to the presidential media chat. >> when there was 9/11, and the americans government, it was a collective responsibility. the international connections. just give us some time.

the position we're in now i believe, will be better in the few weeks to come. >> in the plan to find those girls alive. >> those girls have been in the hands of criminals. they've been moving them across the jungle. a number of them died in the first place. not because they wanted to kill them. some of them died in their hands. about 200 girls who were kidnapped, as president you want

me to find those girls alive. what i'm telling you over the course of the position now and quite hopeful i'm more hopeful now than before in terms of cleaning up the whole area. because of what we have now and the cooperation. it was never there before. >> we need to--when some people

say the president brought boko haram for political gain. i just can't imagine someone thinking that way. >> we all agreed that he should be the one to ask this question. >> in a similar event like this

in the past that this does not mean corruption. many are worried that it becomes something that people talk about and the insult can you clarify. >> thank you for asking. saying that steal something not corruption. i'm not saying that steal something good.

that statement was because of issues of corruption, i called the meeting i said, look there is no provision for the government to come together because of the separation of power. i said they come together to tackle corruption.

they said because of this corruption, it took most and 80% of them are just--when i look at this old man who is corruption they'll look at this man who is corruption corrupt. sometimes we use corruption to cover the government. someone who does not two his work well, they say it's because

of corruption. if you say this man is corrupt something that no one knows anything about what is the quiff rent of equivalent of corruption? they use the word corruption to cover tips. but don't use the word

corruption to cover everything. the punishment for that matter they use corruption to cover many things, and just for example, in lagos. they use the word corrupt.

when investigates corruption cases, 85% of them are just just--steal something bad. corruption, for example n a society that is built on our own values. the word corruption we have used it and it is no longer making so much sense except maybe to talk talk about--i quoted mustafa.

70% and 80% are clear cases of stealing. it's not corruption. we have set out to deal with corrupt practices. when it's a case of stealing, when you're trying to cover everything--people have it

confused. it's not my quotation. it's been used wrongly. luckily no one said that president goodluck jonathan is stealing. >> the president settling in for a nice chat with some media chums there in abuja broadcast on nigeria tv. if there were a fire in the room, he would be giving a fire side chat. it has been so chummy, we bring in an author over the book of nigerian democracy. have you heard anything that you would take home with you tonight, anything new? >> well, i think that there are a couple of opportunities that

he seized upon, and a couple of opportunities that he didn't seize upon as fully as we, as nigerians might have hoped. i mean, certainly one very important take away appears that he was not fully consulted with the decision on delaying the elections. now, i think that will come as a surprise for many nigerians because just about two weeks ago his national security adviser in a speech no in london floated the idea of possibly delaying the elections and worried that that might be some trial balloon, as we call them the opposition and the very well oiled organizations who are fighting for a fair election raised some a alarm after this comment.

president jonathan said that we should tread cautiously on this, and we can provide information about security, and we can provide information on our part of the bargain, but the decision must reside with inek. that is one-- >> he's trying to say, i was above the decision. i wasn't party to it. it was inek or army or security personnel, it was them, and i have to trust them. >> that's right. and on the one hand that suggests a measure of political distance to try to send the message that it was not a partisan decision, but on the other hand he had members of his administration floating the idea

prematurely. and it's important to remember that members of his democratic party had been call forgive a delay, and they began calling for a delay almost immediately after a nationwide survey was released announcing that the ruling party and opposition apc were neck and neck at 42 points each at a nationwide statistically sampled survey. another thing that i think came up with regard to the election on the electoral commission, he had an opportunity to express his confidence and ongoing confidence in the electoral commissioner and he didn't quite send a clear message on that. he reiterated his authority as many presidents would do, his authority, and his ability to appoint and remove commissioners. but at this stage in the game where everyone i think is watching very closely for re re

reassurance, i think that statement might have been stated pore "o" more persuasively. >> thank you very much. we'll go in to wrap up this hour of the presidential far side chat. yvonne we're hearing that perhaps he didn't know, perhaps--well, he said that he didn't know that the election was going to be postponed trying to make it out but he's perhaps above all that. what would you take home from this? >> well, the whole of it was designed to quell public concern about the movement of the election. people confused by the opposition about colluding and saying that they could not provide security to bide more time another six weeks to rig the election. that's coming from the

opposition. they make no bones about it. there are those who are not sure how they're going vote. they say this guy is absolutely clueless. he has been leading this country for six years. it's time for change. this event was designed to ask the why the election was postponed, how he's going to deal with boko haram. he said that's not what is being said, even though 24 hours ago the chief of defense said that boko haram camps are going to be destroyed. it was designed to address those two key issues. those in the opposition are going to see this--we've got to jump in there because we've only got 20 seconds or so before the end of this hour of broadcasting which has been taking up pretty much of what we've been seeing coming out of nigeria. that's it for me and the news

hour team. we'll be back a little bit letter with more news. bye bye.

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only on al jazeera america >> ukraine's president meets with leaders from germany russia and france, fighting intensified on attacks of a donetsk bus station and 19 soldiers killed. this is al jazeera live from london. also coming up. 300 migrants feared dead after trying to reach italy in rough seas. barack obama said he's not ruling out deploying ground troops as he receives authorization from congress to