By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON, D.C.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee moved to condemn the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram on Friday for its role in the abduction of nearly 300 school girls last month and for its ongoing militant campaign in the country.
Boko Haram militants abducted an estimated 276 schoolgirls from the Chibok Government Girls Secondary School in Borno State 25 days ago.
“It’s clear the Nigerian forces are struggling in this fight,” said committee chairman Ed Royce in a statement released following the resolution’s approval. “Direct U.S. security assistance – intelligence and advisors in the field – can make a big difference in rescuing these girls and combating this terrorist threat.”
The committee’s resolution further supports the U.S.’s offers of assistance to the Nigerian government.
“This resolution also reaffirms our support for the assistance that the Administration has offered to help the Nigerians find these girls, and encourages more,” said Royce.
Beyond the recent abductions, the committee’s resolution condemned Boko Haram for violent attacks on civilian targets, including mosques, villages and churches. It further defended the right of all children to education, and encouraged the U.S. Department of State and USAID, the U.S. government’s foreign aid agency, to support “initiatives that promote the human rights of women and girls in Nigeria.”
The U.S. announced on Tuesday that Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan had accepted a U.S. offer to send a team of interagency hostage and investigation experts to assist Nigerian authorities with the search.
The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs will convene a panel next Thursday to discuss U.S. assistance to Nigeria. The hearing will include representatives from the Department of State, Department of Defense and USAID.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
