Blog #9: Boko Haram's Report Released.

Amnesty International has compiled a 90-page report based on dozens of interviews with escaped abductees and witnesses, nearly a year after Boko Haram seized more than 200 schoolgirls from Chibok, Nigeria. However, the report reveals that since the start of last year, Boko Haram Islamic militants have kidnapped 2,000 women and girls. The report also indicates that the girls and women were routinely taken after invading and controlling a town. These women and girls in turn would be made into sex slaves, cooks and fighters. A 19 year old women has told Amnesty that she was one of the girls that were taught how to shoot, bomb and attack a village. In addition, she has been gang-raped several times since her kidnapping in September 2014. Men have also become victims to Boko Haram's when they refuse to join the ranks and end up becoming killed. Two men told the researchers that at least 100 were executed when the militants took over Madagali. The only reason they survived, they stated, was because the knife became to dull to slit their throats. Elect Muhammadu Buhari, president of Nigeria vows to rid Boko Haram and the locate the missing girls.

It has been in the news every so often about the actions of Boko Haram, however the report has only just been released. The capturing of children, mostly, by Boko Haram is incredibly inhumane. It violates the rights that are entitled to this kids and strips them of their identity. Being forced into becoming soldiers or sex slaves is in violation of human rights. As stated by Daniel Eyre, author of the report, "These appalling executions, the sexual violence, the recruitment of child soldiers, these are war crimes and crimes against humanity and they need to be investigated". Despite the words of the President Elect Muhammadu Buhari, the government needs to take noticeable action to really make an effort in stopping the horrific acts of Boko Haram.

Rachel Ear
April 14, 2015
3:42 pm.

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/04/14/world/africa/14reuters-nigeria-girls-warcrimes.html