U.N. Security Council Links Boko Haram To Al-Qaida

U.N. Security Council Links Boko Haram To Al-Qaida

The United Nations Security Council declared Boko Haram a terrorist group with links to al-Qaida this Thursday and imposed a series of sanctions against the Islamic militants that have recently made world news with the kidnapping of almost 300 schoolgirls in Nigeria.

The move was applauded by U.S. ambassador Samantha Powell who said that the international community made a huge step forward in helping the Nigerian government defeat Boko Haram and hold its leaders responsible for their crimes.

Nigeria proposed the addition to the al-Qaida affiliates list under the name Jama’atu Ahlus-Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal Jihad with Boko Haram as a more accessible alias. U.N. members declared that there is now clear evidence that Boko Haram members have trained with al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb specializing in explosive devices. There is also evidence that Boko Haram members were fighting along with al-Qaida affiliates in Mali last year.

Before the addition of Boko Haram to the al-Qaida associates list it numbered 62 groups and 213 individuals. The results of U.N. sanctions on Boko Haram are unsure as they mostly operate in the Nigerian jungle and use cash, so tracing a financial backer can be almost impossible.

Nigerian U.N. representatives urged all U.N. members to include Boko Haram in all national terrorist lists and to check their country’s arms and financial records to ensure that the terrorist organization isn’t being awarded money or weapons.

Posted by James Fried on Friday May 23 2014, 3:20 AM EST. Ref: washingtonpost. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0