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Tag: boko haram

  • Boko Haram raping girls, says Human Rights Watch

    Boko Haram raping girls, says Human Rights Watch

    Boko Haram fighters raped and abused girls and women they abduct from Borno and Yobe states, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch.

    They also forcefully married some and sending others to the frontlines to fight  security forces.

    The report released yesterday said at least 500 women and girls have been seized by the group since 2009 when the insurgency began.

    Human Rights Watch said 30 women and girls who were once prisoners of Boko Haram, told its researchers how they were subjected to a variety of abuses, sometimes for refusing to convert to Islam.

    The organisation interviewed some of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted by the group April 14, but who later fled or were released.

    The students said  nearly all of those abducted from their school, located in a predominantly Christian area of Borno State, were Christian.

    Of the 30 victims of abduction interviewed by Human Rights Watch, 29 were Christian; most appeared to have been targeted because of their religious affiliation. Many were threatened with death if they refused to convert to Islam, the report adds.

    The women suffered forced labour, including forced participation in military operations; forced marriage to their captors; and sexual abuse including rape.

     

     

  • Church condemns Boko Haram’s violence

    The Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion has said the seemingly endless activities of the Boko Haram insurgents in the Northeast and other parts of the country are worrisome.

    It therefore urged government at all levels to address the situation to avoid further escalation.

    The Omu-Aran Diocese in Irepodun Local Government Area Kwara State spoke at the end of its second session of the second Synod.

    In a  communiqué issued at the end of the Synod, the church condemned “in strong terms, the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents which have caused so much suffering to Nigerians, even as it called on government, the armed forces and other security agencies and all Nigerians to unite in order to prevent the activities of the group from spreading.”

    On the 2015 general elections, the church urged politicians and electorate to imbibe the culture of love, integrity and the fear of God before, during and after the elections.

    It listed corruption, assassinations, terrorism and kidnapping as some of the vices militating against the country’s growth and development, adding that churches and mosques cannot be exonerated from corruption which has pervaded every aspect of the Nigerian society.

    The church further said the trend is capable of preventing the country from achieving the much-needed political and economic development.

    It added that the root causes of these vices are “wicked hearts from the high and low places.” It called for purity of hearts, love and godly living among Nigerians.

    The communiqué which was jointly signed by the Diocesan Bishop and Chairman, Communiqué  Committee, Rt Rev. Philip Adeyemo and Sir J.S Bamgboye reads: “The Synod notes the high level of corruption in the country, which if not arrested will deprive us from realising our potential as a great country, and make people lose confidence in us as a people. The Synod therefore calls on government at all levels and all stakeholders to rise up and wage total war against the cankerworm.

    “The Synod notes with concern the infiltration of doctrines that are inconsistent with the faith of the founding fathers in our mission schools in the state and calls on the state government to accede to the current agitation of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kwara state branch.

    “The Synod notes with satisfaction the synergy between the federal, Lagos and Rivers State governments in defeating the Ebola scourge and commends the sacrificial and professional roles played by our health workers in containing the scourge. Synod also prays that God will grant the families of those who died in the process the fortitude to bear the loss.

  • Boko Haram: Damaturu after traders’ ban

    Boko Haram: Damaturu after traders’ ban

    Wheelbarrow-hawkers and roadside shops have been banned at four major roads in the Yobe State capital, Damaturu, after the Joint Military Force (JTF) said they found that Boko Haram fighters were using them to foment trouble. The roads are Potiskum Road, Gashua Road, Maiduguri Road and Gujba Road. The ban also affected all makeshift shops and fruit sellers.

    How did the traders take clampdown? Not very kindly, and their reaction has caught the attention of the state government which wants to pacify the traders and also ensure peace in the capital and state.

    The directive which was disseminated by the state Ministry of Home Affairs, Information and Culture and the local radio station (YBC) asked all concerned to comply with it or face the wrath of the law.

    While the JTF maintained that it was a hard decision to take, it also stressed the necessity to ensure the safety of life and property in the state.

    The directive, however, took most residents by surprise and elicited angry reactions from some of the traders who were prepared for a showdown with the security operatives.

    Investigations by The Nation revealed that opinions were divided over the decision of the JTF especially at this critical time when a lot of people have been forced into menial jobs and petty trading from their former businesses which were either lost to Boko Haram attacks or abandoned in the same vein.

    Some residents who spoke with The Nation described the decision as “harsh and hasty, unreasonable and insensitive,” stressing that it will create more problems than it will solve. Some others feel the decision of the JTF is for the good of the people.

    A resident who identified himself simply as Hamisu, said, “I am not a security man but I want to believe that in any decision that these people (security) take, there must be something they know that we don’t know. And maybe it’s because of such a thing they would come up with this kind of decision. It looks harsh but it’s going to benefit us in the long run, I believe”.

    Another resident who sells fruits along Gujba Road but does not want his name in print, said, “This is a very harsh decision on the common people. It is hasty, unreasonable and insensitive to the plight of the poor people. How can we feed our families without this kobo-kobo that we are getting from this petty market? If they drive us away then where are we going to, join Boko Haram or what?

    The complaints of the people did not fall on deaf ears as the state government apart from asking the JTF to temporarily suspend the directives set up a high-powered committee comprising the trade unions and other relevant stakeholders including Damaturu local government officials as well as members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state. The committee which is headed by the State Commissioner for Environment Alh. Idi Barde Gubana  among other things is tasked with the responsibility of getting an alternative market for the traders before the full enforcement of the JTF orders.

    As part of efforts to ensure strict compliance of the directive in future, the committee to move to find alternative place for those who will be affected by the directive. The committee has bege. Inspecting some open sites within the state capital with a  view to establishing a new market for the traders who are due to be sacked by the time the ban takes effect.

    The Committee Chairman told the traders that the stage government was concerned about their plight and is taking measures to ensure that the unnecessary suffering is avoided. He emphasised that the military directive is in the interest of peace for all and called on the people to comply with the order as without peace, “no business activity will be carried out in the first place”

    He said: “The Yobe State government is concerned that so many residents will be jobless as a result of the ban hence the need to plead with the security forces for extension of the dateline to find an alternative location for the various hawkers to enable them carryout their lawful business activities before enforcing the ban. We therefore beg you to be law abiding by cooperating with security operatives in the search for lasting peace which is a veritable ingredient for any meaningful development to strive”, he said

    He also disclosed that his committee will speedily ensure that everything is put in place and nobody who intends to carryout legitimate business in the state will suffer. He however warned hoodlums who would want to take advantage of the situation to breach the peace of the state, while calling on traders to report any suspicious character among them.

    The chairman Damaturu Local Government Alhaji Kalli Mohammed also asked the traders to give their maximum support to the government for being considerate to their plight. He pledge the support of his council  towards the  actualization of  the dream of an ultra modern  market in the state capital, while calling on the traders to take advantage of the grace period to fix themselves awaiting the orders.

    The chairman, Damaturu Marketers Association, Alhaji Usman Mu’azu expressed gratitude to Yobe state government for sourcing for an alternative location for the traders and extension of time on the order by the military and assured of adequate sensitization of   his members. On his part, the Chairman of NURTW Yobe State Hussaini Ibrahim advised government to take advantage of the existing Sunday Market in the metropolis that is lying fallow instead of getting an entirely new place that may cost more money for the government. “We have gone round and seeing places but our advice is that Yobe State government can facelift the Sunday Market which has enough land to accommodate every trader in Damaturtu. “It will be cost effective for the government to follow this advice than sourcing for an entirely a new plot of land for a market which may cost millions of naira in either compensation or construction. The Sunday Market in our opinion is the best option for the government to explore at the moment especially because of the urgency of this matter”, he said.

    However, It is not clear at the moment how long the grace of the extension of the order by the JTF on the ban on hawking in the metropolis would last as the military have kept mute over the issue for now. Many traders(hawkers) is the state are now jubilating over the state government intervention on the ban, not forgetting also how urgent the state government is prepared to provide an adhoc market for them. A security source mentioned in confidence that, “we will monitor the situation and see how fast the state government could act on their promises. But if we discover that it will affect our operations, we will go ahead with our plans”. This is not the first time the JTF is banning hawking in the state. In the last two years, such a directive was issued to beggars and hawkers especially carrying out their trades close to security points but those orders were flaunted.

     

  • Negotiation with Boko Haram still on course – FG

    Negotiation with Boko Haram still on course – FG

    The Federal Government has insisted that negotiation with the Boko Haram is still ongoing despite renewed attacks by the sect.
    Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Aminu Wali on Monday told the media that the government was hopeful of a fruitful outcome of the peace initiate brokered by the President of Chad Republic.
    Wali spoke when he received the Foreign Minister of France and Germany, Mr. Laurent Fabius and Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Abuja.
    Wali who did not rule out the existence of a splinter group also noted that the latest abductions and attacks may not have been carried out by the Boko Haram sect who are in talks with the Federal Government.
    Meanwhile, the visiting European ministers announced that they were ready to support any effort that will bring about ceasefire.
    They said they are working on a humanitarian force to assist Nigeria and other West African countries in handling humanitarian issues.
    They noted that victims of Boko Haram activities and those of natural disasters would benefit from the initiatives once it get the approval of the European Union (EU).
    Besides, the duo noted that they would be helping the country to train 200 healthcare professionals in the country and also West Africa region in handling the Ebola Virus Disease.
    The duo and their delegations had earlier visited the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) where they promised to support the commission in conducting a free and fair elections in 2015.

  • French general predicts ‘reduced regional threat’ from Boko Haram

    The Nigerian Boko Haram sect is showing early signs of weakening, reducing the risk of a spillover into neighbouring countries in West Africa’s Sahel band, the head of France’s military operation in the region told Reuters on Sunday.

    General Jean-Pierre Palasset said there are signs that the militant group’s strength has peaked – even though it has staged a series of deadly raids in Nigeria since the country’s military announced a ceasefire deal last week, as well as battling government forces in neighbouring Cameroon.

    Palasset said in an interview that Maiduguri, capital of Nigeria’s Borno State, had been at risk of falling into the insurgents’ hands last month but he felt the situation had stopped deteriorating since then.

    “The pressure’s coming off near Maiduguri,” he said at the French military headquarters for the region in Chad’s capital, N’Djamena.

    “Apart from a few border villages Boko Haram is very much contained in Borno.”

    The Nigerian military also raised hopes that more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped in April would be released under the deal it said had been struck with Boko Haram. However, the girls have yet to be freed and the violence has intensified.

    Suspected Boko Haram militants killed at least 17 people and abducted dozens in a series of attacks in the central region of Borno State, the head of a local administration said on Sunday.

    Cameroon’s defence ministry spokesman said separately in a statement on Sunday that its troops had killed 39 Boko Haram fighters during three different incidents on Friday in the far north region near the border with Nigeria.

  • Boko Haram abducts 30 boys, girls in another raid

    Boko Haram abducts 30 boys, girls in another raid

    Cameroon kills 39 sect fighters

    No fewer than 30 boys and girls were at the weekend abducted in a Borno State village as BokoHaram continued to violate the “ceasefire” it allegedly reached with the government.

    Some government officials had a discussion with some Boko Haram representatives in Saudi Arabia two weeks ago after which a ceasefire was pronounced by Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh.

    Talks are going on in N’Djamena, the Chadian capital, believed to be coordinated by President Idris Derby.

    The release of the abducted 219 Chibok girls, since April, is believed to be top of the discussion.

    But the sect has continued its violence without let, although its representative at the Saudi talks said the attacks were being carried out by “armed robbers”.

    Boko Haram at the weekend killed 17 in attacks. It abducted 30 girls and boys in a Borno village and killed four Nigerians in an attack on a Nigerian refugees’ camp in Cameroon. The Nigerians in the camp were those who fled Boko Haram’s attacks.

    A local chief confirmed the attack and abductions to reporters yesterday.

    “The insurgents… grabbed young people, boys and girls, from our region,” said Alhaji Shettima Maina, who is in charge of the Mafa village around 50km east of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital

    “They took all boys aged 13 and over… and all girls aged 11 and more. According to our information, 30 young people were abducted in the last two days.” Another village elder, Mallam Ashiekh Mustapha, confirmed the account to the French News Agency (AFP)

    Both men said 17 people were also killed in recent days in a Boko Haram attack on the nearby village of Ndongo.

    Kidnapping young women and girls — as well as forcibly conscripting young men and boys to fight for Boko Haram — is a well-established tactic by the militants.

    Some estimates put the number of women held by the group in the high hundreds. Most are believed to be forced into marriages with rebels.

    Mr. Maina said his village and areas around it were targeted in nearly daily raids by Boko Haram, prompting many residents to flee to the city of Maiduguri for safety. He said he had pleaded for help from the government but that so far none had been forthcoming.

    The sect members also attacked a refugees’ camp, where Nigerians running from insurgency are camped in Cameroon. Four Nigerians were killed. A Cameroonian was injured. It was one of the three raids they carried out on Cameroon territory.

    But Cameroonian forces subsequently killed 39 Boko Haram men. Cameroon’s Defence Ministry, in a statement yesterday, said Friday’s fighting in the far north of Cameroon near Nigeria also claimed four civilian lives.

    Their latest attack targeted the village of Glawi, “killing four Nigerian refugees and wounding one Cameroonian, before being pushed back by defence forces which pursued them until the borders,” the ministry said, adding that a dozen militants were killed by troops.

    Another two groups of Boko Haram Islamists entered Cameroon at around the same time, but were “immediately intercepted and neutralised by our defence forces who destroyed three 4×4 vehicles equipped with machine guns, killing 27 assailants,” said the ministry statement.

    The toll issued by the ministry has not been confirmed by independent sources. There was also no details on any casualties suffered by the army.

    The Cameroonian army regularly issues updates on the number of Boko Haram fighters it has killed.

    Last week, it said it killed 107 Islamists during fighting that also saw eight Cameroonian soldiers dead.

    Cameroon President Paul Biya has vowed to “totally wipe out” the Islamist group, after 27 Chinese and Cameroonian hostages kidnapped in May and July on Cameroon’s territory by suspected Boko Haram Islamists were released.

    Cameroon shares a border of more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles) with Nigeria, where Boko Haram has been waging a bloody insurgency since 2009 in which 10,000 people have died.

  • Boko Haram no longer faceless, says group

    The President, Jonathan Trust Foundation (JTF), Mr. Abiodun Dada, at the weekend said that the Federal Government’s ceasefire agreement with the Boko Haram sect has become necessary because the sect is no longer a faceless organisation.

    Speaking with our correspondent, he explained that what the country has always sought is for members of the group to come up for negotiation with the government.

    He said, “The ceasefire is the best thing that has come out of this fight against the insurgents so far. Apart from killing Shekau, having a ceasefire agreement is a step in the right direction. Now, it (Boko Haram) is no longer a faceless organisation. At least, some people are coming forward to say they represent the group. They are willing to talk with the government, which is what we have always been trying to do over the years: to get them to talk. To get them come from their hideout and seat down and discuss with the Federal Government.”

     

  • Govt negotiates with ‘faceless’ Boko Haram

    Govt negotiates with ‘faceless’ Boko Haram

    It was an unusual volte-face. That is if you believe the Goodluck Jonathan presidency at any time ever had a principled or nuanced revulsion to negotiating with terrorists. The facts of the government’s approach to combating terrorism are, however, much plainer and simpler. They are now negotiating with Boko Haram over mainly the abduction of 219 Chibok, Borno State schoolgirls in a tripartite arrangement that sees representatives of the Nigerian and Chadian authorities speaking earnestly with representatives of Boko Haram or at least a faction of the terrorist group. The government was at bottom not really opposed to negotiating with the group, for it had no principles and no convictions about anything, but it was hesitant because it was not sure of a successful outcome. There was of course some disagreements between government officials over whether to negotiate or not, and the president had seemed chronically unable to make up his mind. But overall, the government recognised it lacked both the guile to rescue the girls and the muscle to defeat the terrorists. The delay in negotiating with Boko Haram is after all political.

    In fact, the Jonathan presidency’s war against terror had been undermined by impotence and vacillation. No concise or comprehensive strategy to fight terror was ever articulated by the government. As the terror group gained in prestige and territory, the government’s security agencies wilted in confusion and in-fighting. At a time, the government even began to fight the media for reporting the military’s shambolic response. After many years of confusion, the government has finally hunkered down to negotiating with Boko Haram, a terrorist group the president consistently and sneeringly described as faceless. Citizens and other intermediaries, including former president Olusegun Obasanjo, protested that if the government was sincere about negotiating, Boko Haram had a face. But Dr Jonathan stood angrily pat.

    It is not clear how the Jonathan government finally put a face to Boko Haram, or whether its volte-face had anything to do with the defection into the PDP of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and the unusual meeting the president, the senator and Chadian President Idris Deby had in Ndjamena. No one also seems to know whether putting a face to Boko Haram and the ongoing negotiations do not have something to do with the general elections due to hold in about four months time. But whatever it was, Dr Jonathan has at last finally but belatedly recognised how Boko Haram looks like, who some of its leaders are, and that indeed the terror group can speak intelligible language. While it vociferously but without substantiation accuses the opposition for politicising the anti-terror war, it now seems clear that all along, it is the Dr Jonathan government that continues to manipulate the war, especially the rescue of the abducted Chibok girls. Surprisingly, the violation of a controversial ceasefire by Boko Haram elements has not weakened the government’s resolve to press ahead with negotiations.

    Instead, the government or its agents have shown clearer and more forceful persistence in blaming the opposition for the storm the negotiations have run into and the inability of the government to rescue the Chibok girls. There does not appear to be any logic to the accusations, but it has not prevented the government from suggesting that the presence of some All Progressives Congress (APC) members in the BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) campaign is proof the group had been infiltrated by politicians. This suggestion rests partly on the boast by an APC leader, Audu Ogeh, that his party identified with the noble cause the BBOG was fighting for. Oby Ezekwesili, a leader of the BBOG and former minister, had taken exception to Chief Ogbeh’s boast, thereby eliciting an apology from him. But another visible APC member, Hadiza Usman, a daughter of the famous historian, Dr Bala Usman, defiantly insisted she had nothing to apologise for. It was okay for her to belong to a political party, she asserted, and also fight a noble cause, irrespective of the government’s disingenuous politicisation of the cause.

    No one is certain how the Boko Haram negotiations will end, though there are talks the girls could be released tomorrow. But it is clear that the Jonathan government will do its best to salvage the discussions, bring it to some fruition because of the positive political spinoffs the release of the schoolgirls would engender for him, and try as much as it can manage to tar the opposition with responsibility for failure should the discussions end abysmally. The ruling party will also try to shift blame for letting the abductions last intolerably for more than six months, and for not having a strategy to defeat terrorism.

  • ‘There’ll still be another confab’

    ‘There’ll still be another confab’

    The Spiritual head of Inri Evangelical Church Lagos, Primate Elijah Ayodele, spoke with Sina Fadare on 2015 elections and sundry issues. Excerpts:  

    Most people handle prophecies with levity. Why is that?

    Maybe people’s experiences about prophecies did not encourage them to take some of what l said serious. A lot of people have seen it as a business and a venture. They talk so that people will fear them and nothing came out of it. I am not in that class.

    A pastor is different from an evangelist or a prophet. Some people are miracle makers. They believe that if they do not perform miracles, they are not men of God. There are a lot of thousands spiritual gifts in the church of God. One person cannot get it all. That is why you have different pastors that handle different things.

    Either they take the message serious or not my concern is that the message has been delivered. Those who take me serious get in touch with me and they offered prayers to avert the possible dangers, only l cannot mention some of their names.

    There is what we call maturity. Prophecies are to warn an individual, corporate body and government of the impending danger and what to do to avert it. When you warn, it does not matter whether you like that person or not. That was how it was in the past. Prophets will go to government, leaders and people in authority to deliver God’s message to them but today people did not take it in good faith. They did not listen to the prophets of God, an indication that they berate God.

    What is next after the last confab?

    I have said it and I will keep saying it and for those who care to listen, there will be another confab. It will happen. Let them hear before the Scotts shouted for joy after independence, I said that the independence would not last and it happened. There is going to be independence in Nigeria.

    I’m not seeing Nigeria as a nation in the next 30 years. And for this reason, we have to pray very well because of this coming confab. There is going to be referendum where we are going to decide if Nigeria should disintegrate or not.

    As I have said, we will have a new confab, which is going to be bigger than that of last time and that confab will determine where the country will go. This confab will be a foundation for Nigeria’s future where all the social injustices that have been neglected in the past will be taken care of.

    What do you see after Boko Haram?

    I said that time that they would not capture Shekau but they would kill him. Either the country believes it or not, he is dead. But Boko Haram is yet to die; the Boko Haram boys are going to re-group themselves outside the country. They might not be Boko Haram but they might be coming up as another terrorist group.

    Our security forces should start working on how they are going to tackle this new terrorist group. Rehabilitate these people or not, it will not end terrorism and government should not have any dialogue with any terrorist because of the Chibok girls.

    Government should stand firm. Those people who empower Boko Haram should be exposed.

    The killing of Shekau is not the end of Boko Haram in Nigeria. There is still going to be counter attacks but the head of the security can make it end. The end may come to terrorism in Nigeria but it may not be now either two or three to four years.

    Do you think the Chibok girls will all come back alive?

    No, not all of them will be released; they are going to see them but not all of them. 10 per cent of them are no more.

    Do you think Nigeria will remain the same after 2015 election?

    2015 is not the end of Nigeria. There will be peace in some areas whereas some areas will experience violence. Nigeria will still remain one entity. 2015 elections will not separate us. But I still foresee separation in the nearest future. There is going to be a lot of troubles in Central Bank of Nigeria. The CBN governor must be very careful so that he will not be misled.

    We have a lot of men of God in the country, yet things are not what they should be. What is wrong?

    Let me correct an impression, not all pastors are prophets. If you are not gifted as a prophet you cannot know what to do if a nation is in crisis. It is different from a spiritualist, who has the source of his power through other means. But a prophet is linked up with God and he delivers His message to whomever he was sent to.

    Did you make prediction so that people will visit your church for solution?

    No, not like that. When you came in, did you see any visitation time? All what we are saying is that if the Lord sends us to the nation, we must deliver the message. I thank God what l will eat till kingdom comes has been provided by God. When He calls you, definitely He will cater for your needs.

    As a prophet of God, you have a covenant with you and he is going to be with you till the end. When you follow God’s instruction, he will surely bless you. What gains will l be looking for? is it national awards? l have them in excesses. My position is higher than the president, therefore l don’t need all these so call awards.

    I have done a lot, not in Nigeria alone, but all over the world. Recently, l received a letter from Buckingham palace. They acknowledged our book of prophesy. I got another one from Israeli government. So, l do not need man’s commendation but that of God and if you are doing His work, you are blessed. I have a house and a vehicle that l can use, what else am l looking for?

  • Chibok girls: ‘FG’s deal with Boko Haram still on’

    Chibok girls: ‘FG’s deal with Boko Haram still on’

    Chad said it believed Nigeria’s secret deal with Boko Haram sect to free more than 200 kidnapped schoolgirls would go ahead despite the breakdown of a truce and revealed that the key to the agreement was a prisoner swap.

    The accord mediated by Chad for the release of the girls seized from Chibok, Borno in April has been called into question since it was announced by the Nigerian military last week, Reuters says.

    A ceasefire supposed to be part of the agreement has been broken, and a further 25 girls were abducted this week.

    Moussa Mahamat Dago, the No. 2 official at Chad’s foreign ministry, said it appeared some Boko Haram factions were refusing to abide by the deal, brokered by the Chadian foreign minister with two representatives of the sect and two Nigerian negotiators at meetings in Chad on September 14 and 30.

    “Quite possibly those who are fighting are dissidents that even they (Boko Haram) aren’t able to control. So far, there is no reason for others to doubt this agreement,” Dago told Reuters late on Thursday in the Chadian capital N’Djamena.

    “What I can say is that those that negotiated with the Nigerian government did so in good faith. We are waiting for the next phase which is the release of the girls.”

    Dago said the two sides agreed verbally to a series of points summarised in a document he had seen, including the release of the schoolgirls and of jailed Boko Haram fighters.

    The sect, which has fought a bloody five-year revolt mostly in the northeast, has said it wants to carve out an Islamist enclave in Nigeria.

    “The starting condition of Boko Haram was the liberation of some of their members. That is the compensation,” he said, adding that the specifics on the names and number of Boko Haram fighters still to be released had not yet been agreed.

    Dago said he still expected the girls to be freed, without giving a time frame.

    The Boko Haram negotiators were no longer in Chad although they had agreed to return in October after freeing the girls to hold more talks, he added.

    The first stage of the agreement made was the release of a group of 27 Chinese and Cameroonian hostages by Boko Haram two weeks ago in northern Cameroon, he told Reuters.

    “We remain optimistic. The two sides agreed to find a negotiated solution and to show their good faith they already freed some hostages and announced a ceasefire,” the Chadian official added.

    He admitted it would be embarrassing for Chadian President Idriss Deby’s government, which has taken a leading role in security and diplomacy in Africa’s turbulent Sahel region in recent years, if the girls were not freed.

    “It would be very disappointing. We are engaged in this now. If this negotiation doesn’t succeed that would be damaging for Chad’s facilitating role,” he said.