The governor
of Nigeria’s Borno state says he has information on the whereabouts of about
200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Islamist group Boko Haram.
Governor
Kashim Shettima said he had passed reports of the sightings of the girls to the
military for verification.
Mr Shettima
added that he did not think the girls had been taken across the border to Chad
or Cameroon. Earlier, France’s president offered to host a summit on Boko
Haram. “I suggested, with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, a meeting of
Nigeria’s neighbouring countries” Francois Hollande said. “If the countries
agree, it should take place next Saturday” he added. Countries neighbouring
Nigeria, such as Cameroon, Niger and Chad, would be invited to the security
summit. Aides said the US, UK and EU would also be likely to attend.
The US, UK
and France have already pledged technical assistance to the Nigerian
government. Meanwhile, President Jonathan said an Israeli counter-terrorism
team would arrive in Nigeria to help in searching for the schoolgirls, who were
abducted last month.
‘Slaves’ French
troops entered Mali last year to push out al-Qaeda affiliated militants. Both
the US and UK distanced themselves from suggestions that they would send
soldiers to take part in the military operation in the vast north of Nigeria. “There’s
no intention at this point to be putting any American boots on the ground” said
US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel on Sunday.
UK Prime
Minister David Cameron said it was unlikely Nigeria would ask for British
troops to help, but he added: “I said to President Jonathan where we can help,
please ask, and we will see what we can do.” “I rang the Nigerian president to
offer anything that would be helpful and we agreed to send out a team that
includes some counter-terrorism and intelligence experts to work alongside the
bigger American team that’s going out there.”
Mr Cameron
later tweeted his support for a hashtag aimed at raising awareness of the
abductions. The US First Lady Michelle Obama has described herself and
President Barack Obama as being “outraged and heartbroken” over the girls’
abduction.
Speaking
instead of her husband in the weekly presidential address, she said: “What
happened in Nigeria was not an isolated incident. It’s a story we see every day
as girls around the world risk their lives to pursue their ambitions.” Boko
Haram has admitted capturing the girls, saying they should never have been in
school and should get married instead. The group has also threatened to sell
the girls as “slaves”. Boko Haram has been engaged in a violent campaign
against the Nigerian government since 2009.
It is
thought the majority of the girls are Christians, although a number of Muslims
are among those who were taken.
Chibok, from
where they were abducted, is a small community where families are made up of
members of both faiths.
Source: BBC
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