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May 19, 2014

West African Countries Declare "War" on Boko Haram 
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West African countries have declared a "war" on the militant group Boko
Haram following last month's kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls. At
a meeting in Paris, heads of state from Nigeria and its neighbors
declared the Boko Haram a threat to all of Africa. Nigerian President
Goodluck Jonathan likened the group to al-Qaeda.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan: "Boko Haram is no longer the local
terror group with some religious sentiment which started in Nigeria in
2002 to 2004. From 2009 to date it has changed and is operating clearly
as an al-Qaeda organization, It can better be described as al-Qaeda in
west and central Africa. It is not longer the Boko Haram that came with
the sentiments that western education is prohibited and that women must
not go to school."

Jonathan has faced sustained calls to resign in the aftermath of the
kidnapping. Protests continued over the weekend seeking accountability
for the government's delayed response. Bala Usman of the "Bring Back Our
Girls" campaign said her group will demand a face to face meeting.

Bala Usman: "We have written him a letter informing him that we wish to
see him, we are requesting for an audience, we have not yet gotten
confirmation, but even without confirmation we intend to match to the
president on Thursday to ask him questions as citizens to demand to know
what is Nigerian government doing towards the rescue operations of our
girls."

 

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