Bring Back our Girls

What has the Nigerian government done to return the kidnapped girls?

200 out of the 276 girls kidnapped by radical terrorist group Boko Haram are yet to be located and brought back to their families in Chibok. 3 years have passed since their ill-fated abduction took place on the night of the 14^th April 2014. During the first night, 57 schoolgirls from the Chibok region in Nigeria managed to escape from their captors. Since then, only a further 19 have been brought back from the Boko Haram through negotiations on terms unreleased for security purposes.  

Who are Boko Haram and what are their objectives?

Boko Haram first demanded an Islamic State in 1999, carrying out attacks through suicide bombings, assassinations and indiscriminate shoot-outs that have killed nearly 15,000 people and displaced countless more. These attacks have not been restricted to Nigeria as the group has infiltrated Niger’s border as well.

Following a fundamentalist view of Islam, similar to that of Wahhabism, Boko Haram denounces the actions and traditions of Western culture (seen as “haram”). They have since pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS), however, their power has declined over the years due to mismanagement of funds and lack of a clear manifesto.

What happened to the girls who were captured?

Many girls recount tales of horror during their time in captivity where they were forced to convert to Islam and made to marry men twice their age. Surprisingly enough their basic needs and requirements were fulfilled until supplies ran short. Health workers confirmed many of the girls were spared of sexual abuse while one girl claims three others died during childbirth.

Questions were raised about the treatment of the girls by the Nigerian Forces as family interaction after two years of captivity being restricted without definitive reasons. The girls were not allowed to attend Church service on Christmas Eve.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari was elected to office with the promise of rescuing all the missing schoolgirls. However, even with the army claiming victory over the Boko Haram stronghold in the Sambisa forest, the location of the girls remained largely unknown. Many families believe the government has not done enough to ensure the safe return of their daughters as negotiations have come to a standstill.

What can be anticipated from negotiations?

The instability of Western Africa can affect the schoolgirls even if their attempts to escape are successful. Child trafficking in the area is at a record high with Boko haram increasing their child soldier faction. Moreover, the dense forest cover of Nigeria is estimated to shelter multiple radical non-state actors, including those belonging to Boko Haram.

In earlier negotiations, the Red Cross and the Swiss government played an active role. It is imperative that more international bodies intervene as the number of child suicide bombers in Nigeria has increased with one out of every five suicide bombings being carried out by a child. The Nigerian government may find themselves at an impasse owing to demands for release of Boko Haram prisoners as grounds for liberation of more schoolgirls.