Latest atrocities, crimes against humanity, a forgotten story.
Two thousand men, women and children may have died in Boko Haram’s latest massacre in Nigeria’s north-east. Those, at least, are the claims.
But in the restive regions where the Islamists passage is barely opposed by government forces, few facts – as human rights groups told The Independent yesterday – are verifiable. Even as President Goodluck Jonathan launched his campaign for re-election this week, evidence appeared to emerge indicating that his government’s attempt to prevent Boko Haram forming an Islamic “caliphate” in the northern regions is failing.
As the militants swept through, over-running government forces, one town populated by thousands, Baga, had until last weekend held out against the insurgency.
Protected by a multinational military base manned by troops from Niger to Chad, it was the last place in Borno State under the national government’s control. Over the weekend, that changed. “They came through the north, the west and from the south of the town because the eastern part is only water,” one resident told the BBC. “So, when we [went] toward the western part, we saw heavily armed Boko Haram men coming toward us.
At the sight of the insurgents, the soldiers put up scant resistance before abandoning their base and leaving residents defenceless. Politician Maina Maaji Lawan said Baga had been “burnt down” and estimated that 2,000 may have been killed. But other estimates placed the number dead at closer to 200. More than 10,000 people have been killed in the past year and more than a million displaced within Nigeria as a result of the five-year insurgency.
Baga, local government officials now say, is no more, described as “virtually non-existent”. One man who escaped with his family told Agence France-Presse he had to navigate through “many dead bodies on the ground” and that the “whole town was on fire”. Another told Reuters: “I escaped with my family in the car after seeing how Boko Haram was killing people… I saw bodies in the street. Children and women, some were crying for help”. He added that bodies were “littered on the streets and in bushes”.
Television footage showed scores of civilians waiting on the outskirts of Baga to catch buses. Many carried the possessions they had salvaged, such as bags of clothes and rolled-up mattresses.
In the past week, around 2,000 Nigerians and 500 Chadians have fled Boko Haram attacks in Chad’s Lake region, the Chadian Prime Minister, Kalzeubet Pahimi Deubet, said on Wednesday. According to AFP, Boko Haram’s recent attack means the group controls all of Borno’s borders with Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
The Cameroon President, Paul Biya, yesterday appealed for international assistance to fight Boko Haram. The group is part of a movement that has attacked Mali, the Central African Republic and Somalia in its drive to establish its authority from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic, he said. “A global threat calls for a global response. Such should be the response of the international community, including the African Union and our regional organisations.”
Attrocities commited by Boko Harem17-01-2015
Today President Maha from Ghana launched an idea to create a rapid deployment force of several African countries armies to fight against Boko Harem.
As the chairman of ECOWAS he thinks none of the individual countries is capabal of fighting against Boko Haram.
The RDF should be operational in 6 months if the green light is given.
19-01-2015
A spokesman of the Cameroon army announced today Boko Haram kidnapped 80 people in his country.
3 people have been shot in villages just across the Nigerian border.
The group of 80 consists of 30 adults and 50 children (boys and girls) aged between 10 and 15 year.
Its expected the boys will be brainwashed and used for the militia while the girls will very probably used to marry fighters or become slaves.
The army started a searchparty according to the spokesman.
25-01-15
Nigerian troops backed by air strikes were fighting on Monday to recapture the northeastern town of Monguno from Boko Haram insurgents who had seized it a day earlier, security sources said.
The insurgents had launched several simultaneous attacks early on Sunday. One hit the outskirts and airport of the main northeastern city of Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram's five-year-old insurgency, which it covets as the potential capital of an Islamic state.
They then hit two other towns, including Monguno, which lies on the shores of Lake Chad.
A defence spokesman said on Sunday evening that air strikes had been carried out take back the town after ground troops were forced to retreat.
"The operation resumed on Monguno this morning through air bombardment to dislodge the insurgents," a security source said on Monday.
At least 15 soldiers were killed along with more than over 25 civilians in the town on Monday, a source said.
Soldiers in Monguno said on Sunday they had fled because of the insurgents' superior fire power.
Monguno lies near the larger town of Baga, where a military base was taken over by Boko Haram in early January in an attack that left scores of civilians dead.
In a subsequent video, the insurgents claimed responsibility for the capture of Baga and said they had seized enough weapons to "annihilate Nigeria".
The conflict has intensified in the past year and the government's handling of the security situation is major issue in the campaign for a presidential election on Feb. 14 which pits President Goodluck Jonathan against former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari.
In a visit to Nigeria on Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States was committed to helping Nigeria fight Boko Haram but its ability to do so would hinge on how the well election is conducted.
31-01-2015
Fighters from Boko Haram have attacked the town Maiduguri in Nigerias North-east.
Its the second attempt to take the city but the Nigerian army managed to repell the first attacks.
In the city are roughly 1 million people, residents and refugees from the areas small villages whom fked for Boko Haram.
The terror organisation sees the town as the major city in its Khalifate.
02-02-2015
A suicide bombing hit a presidential campaign rally in northeast Nigeria on Monday, as the country braced for fresh Boko Haram attacks before polling in just under two weeks time.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who had been addressing supporters of his ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe city, had just left the area when the blast happened in a car park outside.
Rescue workers and health officials said the bodies of two women were brought to the Gombe State Specialist Hospital with 18 people who were injured.
Securityforces thinks the two females killed in the bombing nmay be the suicide bombers.This attack is probably organized by Boko Haram in order to try to further destabilize the north for the upcoming elections.
03-02-2015
Chad army troops launch offensive against Boko Haram,
This offensive came at a moment when Boko Haram is in control of most of Borno and has effectively surrounded Maiduguri, which is seen as one of the few places left in the state where voting could feasibly still take place.
Turnout could be affected if large numbers of people, many of them displaced by six years of violence, leave the city, which with other areas in the northeast is a main opposition stronghold.
Capturing Maiduguri would not only be a morale-booster for the rebels but also likely sink Jonathan`s re-election bid once and for all, said Obasi.
Chad`s offensive comes after the African Union and United Nations last week backed a new 7,500-strong, five-nation force to tackle Boko Haram.
Nigeria`s military maintains that N`Djamena`s involvement is part of the existing agreement with Chad and Niger for their troops to assist in the counter-insurgency.
Chad and Niger had withdrawn their troops from the multi-national base at Baga, in northern Borno, last year, leaving only Nigerian soldiers to defend the town when it was attacked on January 3.
A Chadian army Spokesman claimed today the army killed 200 insurgants.
12-02-2015
Nigerian troops killed 260 insurgents today, according to the Nigerian army.
They claimed to have bring back rest for now.
Earlier reportsspoke of about 4000 to 6000 rebels active in Nigeria.
The rebels threathened to attack targets in the countries supporting Nigeria.
17-02-15
Troops from Nigerclaimed to have arrested 270 insurgents.
Among them a high ranking leader.
The neighboring countries of Nigeria together have scraped together a force of 8000+ soldiers to fight against Boko Haram.
More can be found here:
http://abcnews.go.com/topics/news/world/boko-haram.htmHistory in Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boko_Haram