On the 14th of April ago insurgent group Boko Haram
abducted 219 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, Northeast
of Nigeria. The schoolgirls were writing their exams in a
public government secondary school.
In the first days after the abduction, 57 of the girls
managed to escape from their captors.
The mass abduction caught the attention of the
international media, prompting prominent politicians and
celebrities to publicly condemn the abduction.
Thousands of people joined the Twitter campaign #
BringBackourGirls to raise awareness of the issue while
countries such as the Britain, France and the US were billed
to join Nigerian troops in the search, none really did.
When other countries did start to help, they didn't get very
far. The U.S. sent 80 troops in late May to coordinate an
aerial search from neighboring Chad. Canada, France, Israel
and the U.K. also sent special forces to Nigeria. But six
weeks later, the Pentagon press secretary announced that
the U.S. mission would be scaled back, saying: "We don't
have any better idea today than we did before about where
these girls are."
The troops are still in Chad and the U.S. has surveillance
and reconnaissance flights looking for the girls each week.
U.S. officials have expressed concern about sharing
intelligence on Boko Haram given the Nigerian military's
poor human rights record.
Five months and still counting, the girls have not been
found. Until last week another girl was seen, abused, and
reported pregnant in Mubi, Adamawa state.
Government's lack of effort
Although Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan vowed he
would fight the insurgents and find the girls, he has been
accused several times of not doing enough. However the
government has defended its approach to the crisis and
warned that a rescue effort might risk the girls' lives.
Nigeria's former President Olusegun Obasanjo expressed
his frustration at the inadequate negotiations between the
government and the terrorists.
Boko Haram according to reports and insiders have asked
for the release of some it's top commanders held by
government in exchange for the girls.
However the figures that the group is willing to release
also raises questions regarding the true state of the
remaining girls.
And with Obasanjo saying "some of the girls will never
return. Only those that would later get pregnant and the
sect members would find it difficult to cater for the babies
in the forest might be released." Looks like a death kneel
on the Chibok girls.
Military confusion
In May, a Nigerian military official claimed he knew where
the girls were being held. A month later, U.S. surveillance
planes also reportedly spotted a group that officials
believed to be the girls.
Australian Negotiator
Stephen Davis, an Australian cleric and mediator, said in
June that a deal to free the girls had fallen apart three
different times in one month. He says that powerful people
with "vested interests" are working to sabotage a deal, and
he has accused Nigerian politicians of funding Boko
Haram.
For now
Residents in Chibok and many parts of the Northeast face
the unrelenting threat of an attack by militants despite
renewed military offensive.
Up to ten parents of the kidnapped girls have died of
pressure induced illness.
Since April, Boko Haram claims to have taken over at least
five towns in northeastern Nigeria, although the military
says it has won some of these back.
The militant group has also kidnapped at least three more
smaller groups of girls as well as dozens of boys and
young men, some of whom were later rescued.
More than 2,100 people are reported to have been killed by
Boko Haram since April 14, according to data from the
Council on Foreign Relations. And during a span of 10 days
in August, some 10,000 people were displaced by fighting in
northeastern Nigeria.
Nigeria's military appears ill-equipped to deal with the
challenge. Complaining of a lack of weapons, at least 40
Nigerian soldiers reportedly refused orders to fight Boko
Haram in August. However the military has scored few
points including it's killing of Bashir, a Shekau imposter.
Although Shekau appeared in a new video, the Nigerian
Military insists they have killed the real Shekau
As the countdown towards the end of the year is barely
two months, and general elections due in february in the
West African nation, the question is will the Chibok girls be
found before December.
News24
abducted 219 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, Northeast
of Nigeria. The schoolgirls were writing their exams in a
public government secondary school.
In the first days after the abduction, 57 of the girls
managed to escape from their captors.
The mass abduction caught the attention of the
international media, prompting prominent politicians and
celebrities to publicly condemn the abduction.
Thousands of people joined the Twitter campaign #
BringBackourGirls to raise awareness of the issue while
countries such as the Britain, France and the US were billed
to join Nigerian troops in the search, none really did.
When other countries did start to help, they didn't get very
far. The U.S. sent 80 troops in late May to coordinate an
aerial search from neighboring Chad. Canada, France, Israel
and the U.K. also sent special forces to Nigeria. But six
weeks later, the Pentagon press secretary announced that
the U.S. mission would be scaled back, saying: "We don't
have any better idea today than we did before about where
these girls are."
The troops are still in Chad and the U.S. has surveillance
and reconnaissance flights looking for the girls each week.
U.S. officials have expressed concern about sharing
intelligence on Boko Haram given the Nigerian military's
poor human rights record.
Five months and still counting, the girls have not been
found. Until last week another girl was seen, abused, and
reported pregnant in Mubi, Adamawa state.
Government's lack of effort
Although Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan vowed he
would fight the insurgents and find the girls, he has been
accused several times of not doing enough. However the
government has defended its approach to the crisis and
warned that a rescue effort might risk the girls' lives.
Nigeria's former President Olusegun Obasanjo expressed
his frustration at the inadequate negotiations between the
government and the terrorists.
Boko Haram according to reports and insiders have asked
for the release of some it's top commanders held by
government in exchange for the girls.
However the figures that the group is willing to release
also raises questions regarding the true state of the
remaining girls.
And with Obasanjo saying "some of the girls will never
return. Only those that would later get pregnant and the
sect members would find it difficult to cater for the babies
in the forest might be released." Looks like a death kneel
on the Chibok girls.
Military confusion
In May, a Nigerian military official claimed he knew where
the girls were being held. A month later, U.S. surveillance
planes also reportedly spotted a group that officials
believed to be the girls.
Australian Negotiator
Stephen Davis, an Australian cleric and mediator, said in
June that a deal to free the girls had fallen apart three
different times in one month. He says that powerful people
with "vested interests" are working to sabotage a deal, and
he has accused Nigerian politicians of funding Boko
Haram.
For now
Residents in Chibok and many parts of the Northeast face
the unrelenting threat of an attack by militants despite
renewed military offensive.
Up to ten parents of the kidnapped girls have died of
pressure induced illness.
Since April, Boko Haram claims to have taken over at least
five towns in northeastern Nigeria, although the military
says it has won some of these back.
The militant group has also kidnapped at least three more
smaller groups of girls as well as dozens of boys and
young men, some of whom were later rescued.
More than 2,100 people are reported to have been killed by
Boko Haram since April 14, according to data from the
Council on Foreign Relations. And during a span of 10 days
in August, some 10,000 people were displaced by fighting in
northeastern Nigeria.
Nigeria's military appears ill-equipped to deal with the
challenge. Complaining of a lack of weapons, at least 40
Nigerian soldiers reportedly refused orders to fight Boko
Haram in August. However the military has scored few
points including it's killing of Bashir, a Shekau imposter.
Although Shekau appeared in a new video, the Nigerian
Military insists they have killed the real Shekau
As the countdown towards the end of the year is barely
two months, and general elections due in february in the
West African nation, the question is will the Chibok girls be
found before December.
News24
posted from Bloggeroid
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