World This Week
From the past one month Nigeria has been suffering from crisis. Firstly, the kidnapping of 300 schoolgirls and then the killing of 300 people in North Eastern Nigerian town and 50 in Chibok by Islamist terrorist outfit ‘Boko Haram’.
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Nigeria has had a history of spawning militant Islamist groups, but ‘Boko Haram’ has outlived them and has proved to be far more lethal, as it carries a global jihadi agenda.
Many countries are supporting Nigeria in its crucial time and finally US has come forward to help Nigeria. US President Barack Obama publicly addressed the crisis of 300 Nigerian school girls’ kidnappings and pledged to send modest support. Previously, US had denied support on this issue.
But, Boko Haram is reported to be in no mood to negotiate with the Nigerian government. And, in a recent video message, released by Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shakau, the message conveyed was that he would release the girls in exchange for Boko Haram prisoners being held by the Nigerian government. “We will never release them until after you release our brethren,” he said. For the Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who had requested for a meeting of the representatives to find solution to this emerging threat, it seems that there’s no easy way out of this mess.
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On May 17, African leaders and representatives from the US and Britain attended a security summit in Paris to elaborate a global strategy to combat Boko Haram who provoked international outrage after their dastardly act of kidnapping school girls in Nigeria came into light last month.
Paris summit declared Boko Haram a part of terror outfit Al-Qaeda, and leaders from West African nations resolved to mount a region-wide offensive against the group.
At the summit, French President Francois Hollande declared the ‘Boko Haram’ is a “major threat to West and Central Africa” as he secured agreement between five African countries to mount co-ordinated operations to eradicate the group.
After the kidnapping incident the Nigerian people have been very upset and frustrated, and have been demanding the Nigerian government to get their children back. The outrage is such that, the local people have resorted to violence and are in retaliation taking the matter in their hands as they feel the Nigerian military is not doing enough to stem the militant attacks. In a recent incident in Nigeria, near about 41 Boko Haram fighters were killed by the locals, who had suspected that the people of the religious sect were planning a fresh attack on them.
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