Nigeria - Extremists Kidnap New Group of 200+ Girls, 14 Apr 2014

[SouthAussie]

Fifty-eight children have escaped, some of them by jumping off trucks in which they were being transported after some 200 gunmen captured them at the school. "We ran into the bush and waited until daybreak before we went back home," one girl told the BBC.

Associated Press news agency reported that an intermediary is in contact with the abductors. It reported that two children had died of snakebites and 11 were ill. But just how many are still in captivity is unclear.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27293418

The good thing is the AP reports that there is an intermediary in place. The door is open for negotiations perhaps. Although how much successful bargaining one can do with radicals is questionable. It seems to all come down to money, and then we are basically funding them to continue and grow their radical group(s). :banghead:

These poor children, boys taken to be militants, girls taken to be used and abused, and sold.

 

[dotr]

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politic...help-plan-search-for-girls-held-by-militants/

"May 7, 2014 7:30pm

A team of less than 10 U.S. military members will arrive in Nigeria in coming days to be part of the coordination cell to assist that country in the search for more than 200 school girls taken by an Islamic terror group three weeks ago. A Pentagon spokesman said there are no plans right now to conduct a broader military operation in Nigeria.

The White House announced Tuesday that an inter-agency coordination cell would arrive in Nigeria to provide any assistance in the search"

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27320098

Video..
bbm.

"Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl who survived a shooting by Taliban insurgents, has said the world must not stay silent over the abduction of more than 200 girls in Nigeria.

She told the BBC that "if we remain silent then this will spread, this will happen more and more and more".

 

[SouthAussie]

Suspected Boko Haram militants have killed over 200 people in Gamboru Ngala, a Nigerian-Cameroon border settlement ...

He said some local sources had put the death toll as high as 300.

"The gunmen had a field day having planted wrong intelligence that made soldiers leave the town for Lake Chad axis where the intelligence claimed the missing girls had been sighted," Senator Zannah said in an emotion-laden voice. "But it was all a decoy."

http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/166537/militants-kill-200-people-in-northeast-nigeria-senator.html

 

[dotr]

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/clinton-condemns-nigerian-kidnappings


“The seizure of these young women by this radical extremist group, Boko Haram, is abominable, it’s criminal, it’s an act of terrorism and it really merits the fullest response possible,” said Clinton. “This is a problem not just in Nigeria, but Nigeria has more resources and more capacity to do more and they should be expected to.”

Clinton stressed that other nations, including the U.S., should assist with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, as an increasing portion of the African country has drifted out of government hands, but insisted that Nigerian officials need to be the ones to accept that help and do all that is necessary in bringing home their girls.

“Nigeria has made bad choices,” she later said. “They’ve squandered their oil wealth, allowed corruption to fester, and now they’re losing parts of their territory.”

 

[Peliman]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27293418

The good thing is the AP reports that there is an intermediary in place. The door is open for negotiations perhaps. Although how much successful bargaining one can do with radicals is questionable. It seems to all come down to money, and then we are basically funding them to continue and grow their radical group(s). :banghead:

These poor children, boys taken to be militants, girls taken to be used and abused, and sold.

Good news piece explaining the group. Question being are negotiations possible? If they are paid for hostages, won't they do it again? Kidnapping is big business in Nigeria.

However, there is a precedent for abductions - in May 2013, Boko Haram released a video, saying it had taken women and children - including teenage girls - hostage in response to the arrest of its members' wives and children. At the time, the group said it would treat the women as slaves - something it has also said about the Chibok girls. This has fuelled speculation that it is adhering to the ancient Islamic belief that women captured in conflict are part of the "war booty".

In February 2013, Boko Haram also abducted a French family of seven, including four children aged between five and 12, who were visiting a nature park in neighbouring Cameroon. They were later released.

Reuters news agency reported at the time that it had seen a Nigerian government document which indicated that a ransom of more than $3m (£2m) had been paid for their freedom. The French and Cameroonian governments denied this. In January this year, French priest Fr Georges Vandenbeusch was freed by Boko Haram after nearly seven weeks in captivity. Again, France denied a ransom was paid.

 

[Peliman]

Apparently it only gets worse, news breaking right now of hundreds killed.

Nigerian official: Hundreds killed in attack in northeast border town
Originally published: May 7, 2014 11:54 AM
Updated: May 7, 2014 12:08 PM
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LAGOS, Nigeria - Islamic militants killed hundreds of people in an attack on a border town in Nigeria's remote northeast, a state government official said Thursday.

Shops and homes were set ablaze and razed in the attack Monday night on Gamboru Ngala, on Nigeria's border with Cameroon, Borno state information commissioner Mohammed Bulama told The Associated Press by telephone.
He said the fatality "figures are high -- hundreds -- but we are still awaiting details from the military authorities."

Zannah blamed fighters of Nigeria's homegrown Boko Haram terrorist network that has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of 276 teenage girls and is threatening to sell them into slavery.

http://www.newsday.com/news/world/n...-in-attack-in-northeast-border-town-1.7948310

 

[HMSHood]

Hopefully, all those girls will be saved. Boko Haram is a really dangerous group like Al-Qaeda.

 

[LaborDayRN]

Apparently it only gets worse, news breaking right now of hundreds killed.

Nigerian official: Hundreds killed in attack in northeast border town
Originally published: May 7, 2014 11:54 AM
Updated: May 7, 2014 12:08 PM
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LAGOS, Nigeria - Islamic militants killed hundreds of people in an attack on a border town in Nigeria's remote northeast, a state government official said Thursday.

Shops and homes were set ablaze and razed in the attack Monday night on Gamboru Ngala, on Nigeria's border with Cameroon, Borno state information commissioner Mohammed Bulama told The Associated Press by telephone.
He said the fatality "figures are high -- hundreds -- but we are still awaiting details from the military authorities."

Zannah blamed fighters of Nigeria's homegrown Boko Haram terrorist network that has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of 276 teenage girls and is threatening to sell them into slavery.

http://www.newsday.com/news/world/n...-in-attack-in-northeast-border-town-1.7948310

Heartbreaking. I can't even wrap my head around this..... Prayers for the girls and their families. lease:

 

[dotr]

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-27328414

"The re-adoption of the #RealMenDontBuyGirls campaign highlights just how strong global sentiment now is concerning events in Nigeria. An online "social media march" is taking place on Thursday, with people urged to spend 200 minutes on social media to support of the missing girls in Nigeria."

 

[dotr]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/glob...g-schoolgirls-have-in-common/article18535278/
bbm

"MARGARET WENTE
What polio and missing schoolgirls have in common"


“I abducted your girls,” Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau taunts in a chilling new video. “There is a market for selling humans. Allah says I should sell. He commands me to sell.” The goal of Boko Haram (which means “Western learning is sinful” or “forbidden&#8221 is to create a radical Islamic state in Nigeria. This is not the first time the group has attacked schoolchildren. It specializes in burning them alive.

Meantime, the highly contagious polio virus is radiating out of Pakistan and showing up in Afghanistan and Syria. In an interview with the CBC this week, a World Health Organization official delicately blamed “the suspension of the vaccine in one area,” as if Pakistani health officials had committed some sort of careless lapse. This sort of airbrushing ignores the real cause, which is the systematic war the Taliban is waging against female health workers. Since July, 2012, at least 31 polio vaccination workers have been killed and many others have quit in fear of their and their families’ lives".

 

[Peliman]

On a brighter note.

Nigeria: #BringBackOurGirls - More Countries Join U.S., UK to Rescue Girls

ABUJA--The build-up of an international coalition ready to assist Nigeria in locating and rescuing the more than 200 schoolgirls abducted in Chibok, Borno State by Boko Haram terrorists three weeks ago got a boost, yesterday, as France and China and Canada joined the United States and the United Kingdom in the search and rescue operation.

France, yesterday, offered to send security service agents to Nigeria to help recover the abducted girls. Reuters quoted French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius as telling French lawmakers that "the President has instructed that we put the intelligence services at the disposal of Nigeria and neighbouring countries.

President Jonathan earlier today, Premier Li Keqiang promised that his country will make any useful information acquired by its satellites and intelligence services available to Nigeria's security agencies.

"Mr. Keqiang assured the President that China will support Nigeria's fight against terrorism in every possible way, including the training of military personnel for anti-insurgency operations".

According to Jason MacDonald, a spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, in an e-mail, "Canada will provide surveillance equipment and the technical expertise to operate it."

http://allafrica.com/stories/201405080178.html

twitter for #bringbackourgirls

https://twitter.com/hashtag/bringbackourgirls

 

[dotr]

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2014/05/08/21657501.html

"ABUJA - Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan pledged on Thursday to find more than 200 schoolgirls abducted by Islamist rebels, as the hostage crisis overshadowed his opening address to a major conference designed to showcase investment opportunities in Africa's biggest economy.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) being hosted in the capital Abuja, Jonathan thanked foreign nations including the United States, Britain, France and China for their support in trying to rescue the girls, who were kidnapped from a secondary school on April 14 by Boko Haram.

He thanked delegates for coming despite the danger posed by the militants, then quickly moved on to a speech about creating jobs in African economies.

"As a nation we are facing attack from terrorism," Jonathan told delegates. "I believe that the kidnap of these girls will be the beginning of the end of terrorism in Nigeria."

Despite such pledges, Jonathan admitted on national television this week that he had no idea where the girls were.

The kidnappings and numerous other attacks by Boko Haram have totally overshadowed Nigeria's hosting of the forum, an annual gathering of the rich and powerful that replicates the one in Davos, Switzerland."

 

[they'll get you]

Will Oprah join in for the fight to get them back?
Even though it's nowhere near Oprah's school for girls, she'd have to be concerned.

 

[chaotic_idealism]

She could add another voice. I mean, she's a celebrity--she's not a politician or an expert on things like this--but she's still a high-profile citizen. She'd probably get more people to start demanding action.

There's been some steps taken already. I think we have to wait and see what good they do, before we do more.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

If the girls have not been sold yet, why not? Does Boko Herum want a fight with military forces?

 

[they'll get you]

If the girls have not been sold yet, why not? Does Boko Herum want a fight with military forces?

Terrorism works on fear.
Daughters would not be sent to school now.
The terrorists have then won. Simple.
I'm ready to help get these girls back.

 

[SouthAussie]

It is believed the girls are being held somewhere in the forested areas which stretch from near Chibok into neighbouring Cameroon.

https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/...343532d25f60273!2m2!1d12.8476207!2d10.8692052

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27328003

 

[SouthAussie]

In Nigeria’s case, the government appeared indifferent and incompetent.

But then we learn that desperate parents, armed only with bows and arrows, dared to track the heavily armed guerrillas into the jungle, that women threatened to embarrass the government by going into the jungle themselves, that citizens around the world, at demonstrations and on social media, were demanding action for the girls’ return.

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite3_1_08/05/2014_539555

 

[SouthAussie]

And this is what happened - told by a 16-year old girl who escaped ....

Nigerian Schoolgirl: Boko Haram Militants Said ‘Nothing Is Going to Happen to You’

They lied.

http://time.com/89739/nigerian-scho...tants-said-nothing-is-going-to-happen-to-you/

 

[dotr]

And this is what happened - told by a 16-year old girl who escaped ....



http://time.com/89739/nigerian-scho...tants-said-nothing-is-going-to-happen-to-you/

Thanks for posting, scroll down above link for neat flashing map of Geotagged Tweets about the #Bringbackourgirls campaign, going viral..

bbm.
BAUCHI, Nigeria -- The government of a Nigerian state besieged by Islamic militants has identified 53 girls who have since escaped abduction, a controversial move because the girls could face stigma.


Read more: http://www.cp24.com/world/nigerian-...who-escaped-abduction-1.1813575#ixzz31F65l6qA