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Post by Onyango Oloo on May 22, 2014 20:04:45 GMT 3
KIDNAPPED GIRLS BECOME TOOLS OF US IMPERIAL POLICY IN AFRICA Glen Ford The Nigerian military has been carrying out atrocious extra-judicial killings of Boko Haram suspects. The Chibok abductions are serving the same US foreign policy purposes as Joseph Kony sightings in central Africa and will better grow AFRICOM with client states in Nigeria and the West African region in a very long war www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/91842****** IMPERIALISTS HOST CONFERENCE ON NIGERIAN SECURITY IN PARIS Reports of mutinies within the army mount while tensions escalate Abayomi Azikiwe The growing threat of Boko Haram has regional implications and led to a conference in Paris with the leaders of Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad participating. The conference is representative of the burgeoning militarization of the continent led by the Pentagon and NATO forces and does not augur well for the long-term security of Africa's people www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/91841****** BOKO HARAM AND THE WEST'S INTERVENTION Kola Ibrahim Western imperialists, now posing as saviours in the Boko Haram crisis in Nigeria, are using the opportunity to consolidate their meddling in the country's public life. The West's military intervention cannot defeat terrorism, which is a product of capitalism. Only a socialist revolution can offer lasting solutions www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/91831****** BOKO HARAM: JONATHAN ECONOMICAL WITH THE TRUTH Audu Liberty Oseni With the abduction of the Nigerian girls, the government of President Goodluck Jonathan has refused to exchange the girls for imprisoned Boko Haram members. Whilst the government has been in dialogue with some sect members in regards to amnesty and clemency, it seems the insurgency brings political gains to the government www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/91840****** OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN OF NIGERIA Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator In an open letter to the President of Nigeria, a loyal citizen of Nigeria demands the President Goodluck Jonathan resign and give way for another leader who will defend the rights and lives of the citizens of Nigeria www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/91843****** |
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Post by jakaswanga on Aug 27, 2014 21:33:51 GMT 3
There should be a thread on Jukwaa named: Nigeria rising. That was the rebate, or recalculation of the GDP values, reaching the conclusion she had outstripped South Africa. But one needs a healthy sense of humor for Africa's most populous country. --here is an example from the just declared caliphate. No, not the IS or Dash in Sham, or Iraq and Syria. This one is by the Emir Abubakr Shekau, somewhere between Borno State and Cameroon, and Chad. --His enthralled Highness, the Emir of the faithful, Abubakr Shekau, broadcasting from his caliphate in Northern Nigeria, has sent a brotherly message of new tidings to the infidel pretender and usurper of national dignity, the Gooluck Jonathan of Abuja!Hold your laughter, folks. The Emir is informing the usurper of Abuja to consult his conscience, accept his fate and convert to the new faith. Thereby he should declare the whole of Nigeria subject to the new caliphate, and commander of the believers, the enthralled Sheikh Shekau! --peace be upon his high soul! You gotta give the devil his dues I suppose. www.liveleak.com/view?i=b84_1407248103 NB: Hundreds if not battalions of Nigerian troops have fled into Cameroon, after fleeing the battlefield against Boko Haram. A tactical retreat, says the army spokesperson. But military wives have been demonstrating in Abuja, and other garrison cities apparently. --not only are their darlings under armed, their allowances are also low and ever late, leading to arrears of up to 5 years. What the hell would these 'darlings' be dying for against the crazed, well-armed militia of Boko Harams? And remember Nigeria is rising, and her GDP is hot. --But she has no money to pay soldiers at war! yes, I can see the Emir's point when he advises the president Jonathan to convert faith! O O O O Nigeria! some countries do have them, jokers! |
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Post by b6k on Jan 11, 2015 15:20:09 GMT 3
As some mourn the EJK's of Boko Haram suspects, who will mourn the 2,000 civilians killed in 16 villages last Friday? Over the last year alone 10,000 people have been killed by BH & over 1.5 million have been internally displaced according to this article: www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/09/boko-haram-deadliest-massacre-baga-nigeriaSo Amnesty International calls the killings "a disturbing and bloody escalation"? Where's Njakip's ICC? 17 people were killed in and around Paris by a small terror cell & the international media had wall to wall coverage of the attacks. Will the massacre in Nigeria even make the lead story on the CNN's of this world or is this just another case of bad news from Radio Africa? |
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Post by OtishOtish on Jan 11, 2015 19:18:10 GMT 3
As some mourn the EJK's of Boko Haram suspects, who will mourn the 2,000 civilians killed in 16 villages last Friday? Over the last year alone 10,000 people have been killed by BH & over 1.5 million have been internally displaced according to this article: www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/09/boko-haram-deadliest-massacre-baga-nigeriaSo Amnesty International calls the killings "a disturbing and bloody escalation"? Where's Njakip's ICC? 17 people were killed in and around Paris by a small terror cell & the international media had wall to wall coverage of the attacks. Will the massacre in Nigeria even make the lead story on the CNN's of this world or is this just another case of bad news from Radio Africa? ICC in Africa? Recall last year when the AU held an "Extraordinary Summit" to launch extraordinary attacks on the court and continued after the summit? "Neo-colonialism and imperialism!", they cried! Targeting Africa! African solutions for African problems! This is the court you want: www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000060708 Still, here's the answer to your question: " The Office has determined that there is a reasonable basis to believe that crimes against humanity have been committed in Nigeria, namely acts of murder and persecution attributed to Boko Haram. Therefore, the Prosecutor has decided that the preliminary examination of the situation in Nigeria should advance to phase 3 (admissibility) with a view to assessing whether the national authorities are conducting genuine proceedings in relation to those who appear to bear the greatest responsibility for such crimes, and the gravity of such crimes."www.icc-cpi.int/en_menus/icc/structure%20of%20the%20court/office%20of%20the%20prosecutor/comm%20and%20ref/pe-ongoing/nigeria/Pages/nigeria.aspxand the detailed report www.icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/PIDS/docs/SAS%20-%20NGA%20-%20Public%20version%20Article%205%20Report%20-%2005%20August%202013.PDFOf course, the court's involvement does not help in any way with what is going on right now, nor does it have anything to do with the failure of Nigeria's government to properly deal with the problems. The rest of the world? See the articles that OO has "linked" up there? See the wails of "imperialism!"? That was when the French (in particular) tried to help. There is a certain weariness in the world out there, and with it a reluctance to get involved only to be insulted later on. Let the AU deliver its African solutions for African problems and leave us out of it ... is how some thinking goes. And, sadly, yes: reports of a massacre in Africa are viewed as "business as usual" rather than "news". By the way, before worrying about the CNNs, what are the leading items right now in the Nigerian media? In Nigeria itself, where this atrocity has just occurred. Go take a look. Business as usual. Nigeria has handled this Boko Haram issue very badly---right from the beginning, which is why things got so bad. And it continues to do so, both in its dealings with the group and in its agreements with neighbouring countries to work on a "joint approach". So we should expect that things will only get worse. The EJKs (along with other activities terrorising civilians) have in fact only added fuel to the fire in Boko Haram; that alone should suggest a re-think, never mind the "morality". |
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Post by b6k on Jan 12, 2015 15:49:23 GMT 3
Otishotish, I hear what you say but this is beyond the "fatigue" of the world out there since Nigerians themselves have contacted the ICC with solid information regarding those funding the Boko Haram. In a move reminiscent of ODM's letter to the UNSC or AFRICOG's letter to the OTP, an organization called SERAP has already given information that a former governor of Borno State & an ex Army Chief of Staff are known to be financing & providing logistical support to the group. Nigeria is a signatory to the ICC & if the government has failed its people then the ICC should consider the matter. www.punchng.com/news/prosecute-boko-haram-sponsors-serap-tells-icc/If anything the collapse of at least one half of the Kenya Situation cases behoves the ICC to find a new baby which hasn't been soiled by Ocampo's grubby hands & prosecute it with gusto. It would be a pity if they fold their arms and allow the Nigeria Situation to fester year after year. At least I see you say they've gone to the "third stage" of consideration for Boko Haram. |
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Post by OtishOtish on Jan 12, 2015 17:57:43 GMT 3
Otishotish, I hear what you say but this is beyond the "fatigue" of the world out there since Nigerians themselves have contacted the ICC with solid information regarding those funding the Boko Haram. In a move reminiscent of ODM's letter to the UNSC or AFRICOG's letter to the OTP, an organization called SERAP has already given information that a former governor of Borno State & an ex Army Chief of Staff are known to be financing & providing logistical support to the group. Nigeria is a signatory to the ICC & if the government has failed its people then the ICC should consider the matter. www.punchng.com/news/prosecute-boko-haram-sponsors-serap-tells-icc/If anything the collapse of at least one half of the Kenya Situation cases behoves the ICC to find a new baby which hasn't been soiled by Ocampo's grubby hands & prosecute it with gusto. It would be a pity if they fold their arms and allow the Nigeria Situation to fester year after year. At least I see you say they've gone to the "third stage" of consideration for Boko Haram.
The ICC's involvement will not stop the violence, which is what needs to happen urgently; so I don't its involvement as a particularly big deal. I scanned the Nigerian media over the weekend and concluded that you are probably more concerned than the folks over there. The statememt that
"Our correspondent says Nigeria's politicians appear more focused on next month's elections and President Goodluck Jonathan has not commented on the recent violence."
www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30777066
seems quite accurate; other than politics, the "most important news" seems to have been the wedding of Goodluck Jonathan's foster daughter.
In the meantime, as you can see from the article "linked", the West is now being blamed:
"The Catholic Archbishop of Jos, in central Nigeria, has accused the West of ignoring the threat of the militant Islamist group, Boko Haram"
Apart from the weariness I mentioned, it is not clear why the archbishop expects get as worked up over terrorism in Africa as they do over terrorism in their own countries. In any case:
"A French-led initiative has called for Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad to contribute 700 troops each to a multinational force against Boko Haram, but no country has implemented the plan.
Niger has blamed Nigeria, saying it has not kept to commitments regarding its own troop levels."
(Niger has stated that its troops are leaving that area and will not return until the Nigerians wake up and get serious.)
This would be a good time for the AU to hold Extraordinary Summits and talk about African Solutions for African Problems ... and then perhaps do more than talk.
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Post by omundu on Jan 13, 2015 1:02:58 GMT 3
As oloo alluded to in his article, i think the boko haram fiasco we are witnessing is political games being played.
Lets look at it from another angle:
- we know for sure the west has knocked on the government's door as shown by otish only to be ignored so we cant blame them for continued atrocities. And the help offered was enough to strike a death blow to those barbarians - from training,spec ops, radio and satelite tracking, cellphone tracking etc. I mean the whole shabang that was used to find osama and his henchmen.
- The problem is not lack of military capability neither. Most definitely not. A nigerian friend says that his government has,over the years been starving its coup addicted military of vital modern equipment and supplies. He also says that corruption and nepotism has reduced morale. But a quick glance a military websites shows that nigeria still maintains one of the best armies on this continent.
We also remember how they ruthlessly dealt with the biafrans and how ecomog (whose backbone is nigeria with the other countries only being sub battalions) dealt with sierra leone and liberia.
How then can a sub battalion ecomog member like cameroon manage to kill over 100 boko haram thugs who attacked a remote, lightly defended military outpost yet we havnt seen such success from nigeria ?
The answer has to be politics.
Boko Haram are concentrated in the north eastern area of nigeria. It is a predominantly muslim area with the hausa being a majority ethnic group. It is interesting to note that some areas in the northern region have leaders ensuring that sharia law lordes over the constitution.
Historical differencea still exist between the northers and southerners. There was a deal sometime back where it was agreed that state power rotates every two terms between the north and south.
There has been a perception lately amongst the northerners that power has become concentrated in the oil rich south. The yar dua death debacle didnt help matters much.
Enter one mohammed buhari. A muslim and former military ruler from the north. Who remembers his famous clamp downs on corruption during his twenty month reign ?
Before buhari threw his hat into the preaidential ring for the oncoming elections, he was very apologetic to boko haram. In november 2012 he even publicly demanded that the central government stop the clampdown on boko haram and give them special treatment as was given to the niger delta rebels. When government asked boko haram for a "dialogue" boko haram explicitly stated that the only peraon the trust in negotiations in one buhari.
One becomes more suspicious when buhari declares his candidature and there are no attacks but attacks happen and eighty people are killed when jonathan declares his candidacy on november tenth 2014.
A caveat before i go on: i am in no way trying to be a goodluck apologist but below see how the practice above has become standard.
- 26 september 2014. Five governors from pdp ( goodlucks party ) defect to apc (buharis party). No boko haram attacks.
- 14 april 2014. A day before a kano governor defecta from apc to pdp. 80 people get killed a boko haram bomb. He was then asked by apc to cancel the rally.
Has boko haram become to the apc what ira was to sinn fein ?
There could also be a different scenario, a flip side of the coin if you will.
Is the southern dominated government trying to destabilise the north ? Could that explain why jonathan goodluck (ironic name for a current nigerian preaident right ?) Seems aloof and lethargic in responding to the attacks ? Maybe the attacks have been a good excuse for the state of emergencies he has been issuing on the north.
It is interesting that buhari has changed stance recently and has promised to fight boko haram during his campaign tours in the christian south.
Goodluck... goodluck however has not mentioned boko haram in his campaign pledges.
Ponder.
Unedited.
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Post by OtishOtish on Jan 13, 2015 2:21:37 GMT 3
Food for thought: 'But the blame does not just lie with western media; there was little African coverage either, said Allison. No leaders were condemning the attacks, nor did any talk of a solidarity movement, he said, adding that “our outrage and solidarity over the Paris massacre is also a symbol of how we as Africans neglect Africa’s own tragedies, and prioritise western lives over our own.”
Many pointed to the palpable silence of many of Nigeria’s politicians. Last week, Nigeria’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, expressed his condolences for the victims of France but stayed silent on the Boko Haram attacks on Baga.' www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/12/-sp-boko-haram-attacks-nigeria-baga-ignored-media |
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Post by OtishOtish on Jan 13, 2015 2:24:19 GMT 3
There could also be a different scenario, a flip side of the coin if you will. Indeed. Those are the Opposition Zones. Does it hurt Goodluck Jonathan if things there are so chaotic that hardly anybody goes out to vote in the forthcoming elections? |
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Post by b6k on Jan 13, 2015 7:16:13 GMT 3
Otishotish, you may be right that I'm more concerned than the Nigerian media on this who issue. I was a resident of Nigeria back in the day and split my time between the north and south. Those were simpler times back then.
Omundu, you're probably right that politics has a lot to do with what's going on. However in a country that traditionally has its presidents hailing from the predominantly Christian south at one time with the baton handed over to a Muslim from the north at another, Goodluck may be playing a high risk political game in the longterm for the sake of minor gains today. Dismissing any region of the country as an opposition zone, as per Otishotish, will only lead to blood & tears in the future. Blowback is a biach & what is over there today ends up at your doorstep with time...
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Post by omundu on Jan 13, 2015 20:32:53 GMT 3
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