#bokoharam – European Affairs Magazine

Three female suicide bombers die in another attack on Maidugur

25 Maggio 2017 BreakingNews @en di

Three teenage girls, all armed with explosive devices worn around their bodies, detonated their explosives at the outskirts of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. Multiple explosions reverberated across the city, the explosions were coming from the southern flank of the city along the Maiduguri-Zambia road. The Borno State Police Command confirmed later in the night that the explosions came from the suicide bombing attacks attempted by three young girls who may have been prompted by the Boko Haram. Police teams were promptly drafted to the scene to sanitise the area, and restore normalcy.

Over 10,000 Nigerian refugees forced out by Cameroon arrive home

19 Maggio 2017 BreakingNews @en di

A total of 10,500 of the 79,000 Nigerian refugees have returned to Borno State. The refugees (who flee their home because of Boko Haram) were forced to return there by the Cameroonian government. Over 100,000 residents of the communities located in the border areas were displaced forcing them to seek refuge in the neighboring Cameroon. The United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) had in March expressed concerns that the forced return of refugees from Cameroon “have continued unabated despite the existence of an accord that allows the facilitation of voluntary return of Nigerian refugees when conditions were conducive”. Mr. Shettima, (Borno State Governor ) expressed regret over the action of the Cameroonian authorities, saying they had dishonored an earlier agreement reached with Nigerian and the UNHCR on the management of refugees: “The Cameroonian authorities have not been honorable in keeping the agreement signed with Nigeria and UNHCR on our people in their country”.

Millions of Nigerians displaced by Boko Haram risk statelessness, UN warns

9 Maggio 2017 BreakingNews @en di

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees, UNHCR, Regional Representative for West Africa, Liz Ahua, says massive displacement in Nigeria’s North-East zone poses great dangers of statelessness for victims. She said that if urgent actions were not to be taken, some of the 2.4 million Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, or refugees residing in neighbouring countries could lose their nationality and become stateless. She explained that displacement, whether caused by conflicts or natural disasters, was a root cause of statelessness which further increases the risk, if not urgently and properly tackled. She said that it could also become an obstacle to achieving durable solutions for displaced persons and prevent them from rebuilding their lives in dignity as well as impede return and relocation. The crises in the Lake Chad Basin region is a prime example where over 2.4 million people have been displaced by the conflict, including over 1.8 million IDPs in Nigeria. Over 200,000 Nigerians are living as refugees in neighbouring countries of Niger, Chad, and Cameroon without adequate documentation.

30,000 Nigerians displaced by Boko Haram return from Cameroon.

20 Aprile 2017 BreakingNews @en di

The Borno State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, says 30,000 Internally Displaced Persons, (IDPs)who fled the state at the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency have returned home. Abdullahi Umar, the spokesperson of the agency, said that this was part of the 78,000 IDPs that fled the state to Cameroon during the period. He said the displaced persons were being kept in a camp at Banki in Bama Local Government Area of the state. “The SEMA Executive Secretary, Malam Alkali Goni, has led a delegation of the agency to Banki to assess the conditions of the IDPs”, he said. The spokesman also said that the IDPs had been assured that the State Government had made adequate provisions for their welfare. He quoted Baba Shehu, the Caretaker Chairman of the local government, as thanking the state government for the gesture and promising judicious use of the items donated.

Arrest of three suspected jihadists in Dakar.

13 Aprile 2017 BreakingNews @en di

A Nigerian and two Moroccans, respectively suspected of links with Boko Haram and the group Islamic State, were arrested these days in the Senegalese capital. The Senegalese police announced the arrest, the day before, in Dakar, by a Nigerian known from intelligence services of its country for terrorism. According to a statement released by the police, this man would have gone in the Senegalese capital ” in the only purpose to recruit terrorists for Boko Haram “. Two Moroccans had been stopped by the air and border police upon their arrival at the international airport Léopold Sedar Senghor. According to the Senegalese police, they are allegedly connected to the Islamic State and arrived from Turkey, where they had appeared as Syrian and had passed by a refugee camp. These two men were known by intelligence services, warned of their arrival to Dakar, the Senegalese police stopped them and questioned them. “They must be now extradited towards Morocco”, adds our police source.

Protesters want Amnesty International to leave.

23 Marzo 2017 BreakingNews @en di

A group of protesters barricated themselves at Amnesty International offices, at Abuja, asking the international organization to leave within 24 hours. Melvin Ejeh, protesters speakperson, said that the group will carry on a five day protest as a first warning: “Let us warn at this point that there will be no interval of respite if Amnesty International fail to leave Nigeria at the end of the five days, as we will activate other more profound options to make the organization leave Nigeria”. Amnesty International is accused by the protestors to “carrying out atrocities which destabilise Nigeria”. Mr. Ejeh said even organisations like the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, and the Global Amnesty Watch had condemned a recent report by Amnesty International which alleged human rights abuses by Nigerian security agencies against arrested Boko Haram suspects. The organisation’s reports stated that 240 people, including infants, died in a military detention centre in Borno in 2016. The military denied the claims contained in the report, saying “they were contrived lies orchestrated to blackmail and ridicule the Nigerian Armed Forces”.

Six killed as suicide bombers attack Maiduguri.

16 Marzo 2017 BreakingNews @en di

The Nigerian Security Agency confirmed the death of 6 people, plus 15 injuried, in an attack carried on by four teenage girls who detoned explosives worn around their bodies at Maiduguri, Borno State capital. The spokeperson of NEMA (National Emergency Management Agency ) Sani Datti, said: “16 people who got injured were administered with first aid by rescue workers before being transported to the state specialist hospital and university teaching hospital in Maiduguri Borno state”. In the past six months a location in Maiduguri, called Muna garage, has been repeatedly hit by these attacks, tipically caused by youg women, kidnapped by Boko Haram, who lost their lives helping the sect convey their lethal weapons attack military and civl population. For about two years now, over 200 such teenage girls have been involved in these attacks, sadly less than ten survived the mission. The girls (usually deployed in twos) are told that explosives will not harm them and that they will disalpear to a safe haven to live an eternal life of bliss and happiness.

Cocaine trafficking in the Sahel: money supply of 2 billion euros.

16 Marzo 2017 BreakingNews @en di

The Northern Mali region (Sahel, a very critic area characterised by army and drugs trafficking and abductions) became the main aerea for cocaine trafficking. Sahel is nowadays a zone hit by politic turbulences too, worsened by the presence of Boko Haram in north Nigeria, which is a constant risk of contagion. In it takes place a real network of cocaine trafficking, one of the most productive product , which generate most added value: bought between 2.000 and 3.000 € per kilogram, is sold for 10.000 in the cities of west african oceanic facade and even 20.000 in the cities of North Africa. With the cocaine trafficking, the Sahel became tied to local mafias. Between 2004 and 2010 has been estimated at 50 tons the quantity of handled cocaine passed in transit by Sahel. We are talking about 2 billion euros, more of the annual budget of several countries of the ECOWAS.

Niger lays in a dangerous triangle between Libya, Mali and Chad Lake, the Republic President said

8 Marzo 2017 BreakingNews @en di

The Republic Pesident, Issoufou Mahamadou, met last Sunday representatives from the 15 Members States of ONU Security Council, to bring the focus on national security issues with specific regard to the terroristic phenomenon of Boko Haram. Mahamadou also explained that Niger lays in a dangerous triangle between Libia, Mali and Chad Lake, and this represents a permanent menace for the country. With regard to libian crysis Mahamadou underlined that he had foreseen the current destabilization of the country durign the G8 Summit held in Deauville in 2011 but he wasn’t taken in acount. In his opinon is very important to consider African Union’s proposals to get over the libian crysis. The president also underlied that Niger suffers frequent attacks along Mali’s border; a possible solution should include a cooperation with Algeria in order to realize a plan to isolate and fight terroristic groups, and the setting up of an international task force – with contingents from Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso Chad and Mauritania, as suggested by G5. Mahamadou would hope for the Security Council to mobilize international comunity to finance the initiative.

Madagali: two explosions killed at least 10 people

10 Dicembre 2016 BreakingNews @en di

Two explosions ripped through a bustling market in northeast Nigeria’s Madagali town on Friday morning, and a survivor says they killed at least 10 people. Boko Haram fighters are blamed for the attack on the edge of the Islamic extremist group’s Sambisa Forest stronghold, which Nigeria’s military has been bombing ahead of ground assaults. Since the military has dislodged the extremists from towns and villages this year, the insurgents have been attacking soft targets. Madagali was liberated last year after months in the hands of Boko Haram.