The 2015 Baga Massacre was carried out by Boko Haram from January 3rd to 7th 2015 in the north-eastern Nigerian towns of Baga and Doron Baga on the shores of Lake Chad. According to eyewitness accounts and satellite pictures, it is the worst Boko Haram massacre to date.
Death toll: It is hard to tell how many were killed: people were too busy running for their lives and none have been allowed back to lay their dead to rest. Some put it as low as 150, others as high as 2,000.
By any measure, it was way worse than the Al Qaeda terrorist attack in Paris on Charlie Hebdo that has overshadowed it in the Western press. That attack killed 17.
This is not the first Baga massacre – in 2013 the Nigerian army killed over 200.
The fall of Baga and Doron Baga completes Boko Haram’s takeover of the northern part of the state of Borno. Doron Baga was the headquarters of the Multinational Joint Task Force. Formed in 1998, it was made up of armed forces from Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin to handle borderland security. Lately it has been fighting Boko Haram, though by the time Boko Haram arrived on January 3rd, only Nigerian forces were left – and, being outgunned, they fled.
Boko Haram could have taken Baga and Doron Baga without much blood, but instead they gunned down everyone they could, men, women and children, destroyed over 3,000 buildings and and set the towns on fire. Some people fled into the bush, stepping on bodies, there were so many. Others fled across Lake Chad in fishing boats.
Sixteen nearby settlements were also burned to the ground.
Right after the massacre President Goodluck Jonathan said:
The President assures President Hollande and the people of France that Nigeria stands in full solidarity with them on this day of national mourning for those who lost their lives at the hands of terrorists in Paris on Tuesday.
But nothing about Baga till a week later – even though he is running for president of Nigeria. Nigerians vote for president on February 14th.
On January 15th, US Secretary of State John Kerry said:
“What they have done … is a crime against humanity, nothing less.”
The indiscriminate slaughter of civilians is a crime against humanity. The Nigerian army, though, is little better. Its human rights record is so terrible that the Leahy Law prevents the US from doing much to help it.
The Nigerian government says it is fighting to take back Baga, but there is no independent confirmation of that. The army sometimes avoids fighting Boko Haram and, even when it does fight, it is so heavy-handed sometimes that it winds up killing more civilians than Boko Haram fighters. It has been fighting Boko Haram, with little success, since 2009.
Boko Haram became world famous in 2014 when they kidnapped over 200 schoolgirls in the town of Chibok. Some have since escaped, some are dead, most are still missing. Boko Haram took yet more young women during this massacre.
– Abagond, 2015.
Update (October 17th 2017): The death toll is estimated to be some 700 people, making it the second worst terrorist attack in the world since 9/11.
See also:
- Boko Haram
- jihad
- Nigeria
- Islamophobia
- Comparable massacres
Is the government on Boko Haram payroll? They seem to not care to do anything.
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Horrible.
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This is what Moslems do. Do not allow them into your country or you’ll be next.
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They are simply following the example set for them by Mahomet, just like the Koran tells them to.
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@ Bobby M
You are on a fast track to getting banned by using those slurs when you were asked not to. smh
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Not a single word from @Abagond that describes that these barbaric Arab slaves are Muslims, and fight for the cause of the satanic deity called Allah.
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I didn’t use a single slur
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@ Bobby M
I am going to quote for you what abagond said to you on the other thread.
“I deleted your comment since it is clear you mean “Mussulmen” as a slur.”
The words you are continuing to use are ones you mean to imply a slur. I am not sure if your reasoning is to be funny, rude, or childish but you have been warned.
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Why are you giving us news Abagond? No point in watching something you can’t do anything about.
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“Moslems” and “Mahomet” are perfectly valid transliterations of “مسلم” and “محمد”
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“Moslem” or “muslim” are correct transliterations, “Mahomet” is not.
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@Kartoffel
I thank you for catching that.
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Transliterating “محمد” as “Mahomet” instead of “Mohammed” or “Muhammad” is no different than translaterating “ישוע” as “Jesus” instead of “Yeshua”
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@ Bobby M
http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/524
I hope you are not being coy, but hmmm….
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Mohammed (dialect) and muhammad (Standard Arabic) are direct transliterations of محمد , if I recall correctly Mahomet is derived from a Latinization of Muhammad that changed the vocals. Scientific literature uses only muhammad.
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That is a ridiculous article. Virtually English speakers pronounce both “Moslem” and “Muslim” with a z, rhyming with “Oz tim” and “Fuzz tim” respectively.
And it doesn’t matter what it sounds like in Arabic, given that the Persian word for America, Amreeka, sounds like the English word “Reek”, which means to smell strongly and unplesantly.
I’m tired of mutilating my beautiful language to comply with “political correctness”, so I say proudly, “Peking”, “Bombay”, and “Mahomet”.
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@Bobby M
I have a feeling everything is ridiculous when it is not the way you want it to be. As such the source still stands all the same. I could care less what or how English speakers pronounce anything. After all English is not the only language in the world.
“Whereas for most English speakers, the two words are synonymous in meaning, the Arabic roots of the two words are very different. A Muslim in Arabic means”one who gives himself to God,” and is by definition, someone who adheres to Islam. By contrast, a Moslem in Arabic means”one who is evil and unjust” when the word is pronounced, as it is in English, Mozlem with a z.” – See more at: http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/524#sthash.64nof9dr.dpuf
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Goodluck couldn’t care less about the massacres because protecting his people is not a priority for him. Also, it’s hard for the army to stand up against groups like Boko Haram because they’re not effectively trained and I’ll equipped. When the militants recently took over the Borno army base the soldiers fled after holding out for hours. Why? They ran out of supplies because they have a useless government. There’s only so much you can do when your president leaves you on your own
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Do you believe the lack of emphasis of supplies and logistics is as a result of the rather tumultuous relationship between the military and the civilian leadership in that country? And what do you think an ideal Centrall African Military/Military Command would look like?
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Corrupt government. Goodluck Jonathan is worthless and from the looks of it doesn’t care. So tragic.
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@sharinalr
English speakers pronounce both “Moslem” and “Muslim” with a z
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Yes I reckon so. The military coups of yesteryear have probably made civilian governments wary. It may also be for that reason combined with plain old corruption.
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@Bobby M
And that changes what exactly? The article still stands. Nothing you say is going to change it or make it wrong or even make it ridiculous as you put it.
Apparently different meanings are associated with the terms and as such if they are to imply a slur then you are treading a thin line of being banned when asked not to use them.
You are arguing as if you intend for it to be offensive and you want to skirt by. I simply only notified you that you are treading a thin line. Same with the other term in the other thread. Continue at your own risk.
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@Mary Burrell
I figured as much. They are acting as if what happened is no big deal.
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For reference
“Journalists switched to Muslim from Moslem in recent years under pressure from Islamic groups. But the use of the word Moslem has not entirely ceased” – See more at: http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/524#sthash.64nof9dr.KsJAb53K.dpuf
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I’m sorry but this is akin to caring more about someone in your family getting killed rather than strangers. It’s normal don’t you think? The French and their system of government – who face similar threats, who hold the same values dear – are going to get more attention from us than the destitute we know nothing about. It doesn’t mean that the destitute’s lives are less important, but they mean less to us personally. Just like your nephew dying would be more upsetting to you than if your neighbor’s kid died. It doesn’t mean that the latter’s life is less important.
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Boko Haram in Nigeria, al-Shabab in Somalia and IS in the Arabic world. What these organisations are doing is being described as ethnic cleansing by some and genocide by others. In the West we get a tiny tiny taste of what others are having to confront on a daily basis. It’s easy to look away (for the Western media) when things happen in countries where the inhabitants don’t have a white skin. Heart breaking.
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@Kiwi,
Indeed, what’s this all about
“The French ”
“who face similar threats”
“who hold the same values dear”
*** are going to get more attention
*** from “us ”
*** “rather than”
“the destitute we know nothing about”
What kind of reaction is this? I don’t think this should be coming from “us”. This is the wrong way of looking at the world.
If we know less about something, shouldn’t we reply by saying we need to know more? How are they any less our fellow family?
I am technically 1/16 French descent, but the incident in France is being blown way out of proportion compared to the incidents in Nigeria.
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Didn’t the assailants of the Paris attack claim allegiance to Isis? or is Isis & Al Queda re-uniting?
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I think the amount of coverage and sympathy of such events (also natural disasters) depend on two things: how much identity does one share with the victims and is it “news”. The latter is fairly obvious, media is a buisness and nobody is interested in something that appears to be a regular thing. The former is a bit more complicated. If something happens to somebody you share identity with it is perceived as something that happens to you (or could happen to you).
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http://www.alternet.org/world/lesson-charlie-hebdo-world-only-cares-if-you-kill-white-people?akid=12695.1929437.w0iOQw&rd=1&src=newsletter1030419&t=23
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After the #Bring Back Our Girls campaign was not talked about i knew then nobody really cared in regards to the news media anyway. Then everything switched to the stuff in Ferguson and Eric Garner in New York and the 12 year old in Cleveland. Black lives all over the world are being disregarded. So tragic.
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Stop trying to make me respect a pedophile-worshipping cult. It will never work.
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The comment from Jim Turner is the reason why African Americans need to be more focused on our own group, which includes Africans and others in the diaspora. AAs are just as ignorant about Africa and its history and current events as European Americans, if not more so. How many AAs are donating or raising money to combat Ebola in West Africa? How many are even talking about it? When we have the wherewithal to travel, where does the average AA go? To Europe! We must start to care for own and support our own, because white people will continue to care solely about white people.
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@Patent clerk
I agree!
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@Bobby
No one is trying to make you do anything. Not even look like a hick.
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@patent clerk. Hear hear. If only we would all wake up. Now
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The link that Herneith provided describes what is patently obvious that it’s the truth in regards to the Charlie Hebdo versus Baga massacre.
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^^^I agree. They don’t care or bother to care when the victims are black. Their should be much more talk about what is going on in that area because it seems very common. The news covers it up.
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Good read:
http://www.ajamubaraka.com/the-charlie-hebdo-white-power-rally-in-paris-a-celebration-of-western-hypocrisy/
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@Kiwi
What you said reminds me of those well meaning type whites who always talk about how it is tragic for anyone to lose a life etc. Then happily turn a blind eye to situations such as the Baga massacre. Then go on to protest and sign petitions for some crime against whites.
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@Diasporan
This here was my favorite quote from the link:
“The “civilized” have created the wretched, quite coldly and deliberately, and do not intend to change the status quo; are responsible for their slaughter and enslavement; rain down bombs on defenseless children whenever and wherever they decide that their “vital interests” are menaced, and think nothing of torturing a man to death; these people are not to be taken seriously when they speak of the “sanctity” of human life, or the conscience of civilized world. (James Baldwin)”
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Baraka is utterly ridiculous. He thinks it is somehow wrong to make people who move to FRANCE act like FRENCHMEN and speak FRENCH.
Here’s the response I wrote on his blog:
“There is nothing oppressive or racist about forcing immigrants to your country to assimilate to your culture and language. There is if you go to their country and force it on them.
Requiring immigrants to your nation to adopt your language and culture is no more wrong than requiring houseguests to adopt your sleep schedule.”
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@ Herneith @ Diasporan
Great links! Thanks.
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Jim Turner
Who do you mean by “us” and what the “values” you are talking about?
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@Bobby M
“There is nothing oppressive or racist about forcing immigrants to your country to assimilate to your culture and language.”
Clearly you are against freedom of religion, freedom of association, freedom of expression, freedom of speech.
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I’m for Freedom of Religion.
You can be Jewish, Catholic, Orthodox, Mennonite, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Anglican, Amish, etc…
It’s unfair to the natives of a country not to assimilate
And White immigrants must assimilate too, just like my Irish and German Ancestors did
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I personally think it’s messed up that almost no coverage next to what happened in France. But I also think the hundreds of thousands of Christians that have been killed and tortured in Syria, Egypt, Libya, and many other places seems to get very little coverage. It makes me wonder if the press and the government who seems to be more under control of at least many mainstream press only cares if there is a geopolitical advantage to do so, and if the “owners” of this corporation called “UNITED STATES” lobby for what press they want and what press they don’t. Just a theory.
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By the way many of the atrocities committed against Christians in Syria are not done by their government I’m told, but by ISIS and even the moderate rebels who “we” back who have done some dirty deeds themselves as well as helping to arm ISIL ISIS IS or whatever the hell. Now “we” are going to send troops to train these rebels who many have defected to ISIS, so why wouldn’t their brethren do the same after we train them? Makes me wonder if there are evil factions of the same people secretly arming the boko haram people. It really makes me sad , and I feel betrayed by our so called representatives. I’m angry, but I have no idea who to complain to and what to do about it.
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You know what, I know I’m rambling, but I think I remember hearing that before Gaddafi was taken out the Libyans built a road through the Sahara to maybe where Boko Haram is at. I probably should have looked that up before but this is just from memory. So since the Libyan rebels have ties with ISIS, maybe they are using “our” own weapons. Now that would be messed up and maybe why you don’t get coverage.
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(http://www.redstate.com/2014/05/09/obama-libya-boko-harams-whirlwind/) Bam! Just looked it up. Of course John McCain was mentioned as someone who pushed to arm the Libyan rebels, not caring about the consequences of smuggling that occurs within these militant groups. I want to throw up.
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I think that when a narrative emphasizes religion…it may be to deflect from actual grievances which they do not want to deal with?
From what I understand, the people of Nigeria do have real concerns and grievances. As it was with the Irish terrorists, when the real problems are addressed and acceptable solutions/compromises found….the situation may possibly improve?
To respond with violence to violence can be counter productive as it generates more violence….a better response would be to respond with Justice. Justice can deal with the injustices that cause the grievances and also the criminals that cause harm.
(The Prophet Muhammed dealt with the fighting, injustice and lawlessness of Yathrib/Medina by implementing justice and law…..)
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@anon
The real concerns and grievances of Nigerians or other “Black” Africans are linked interference outside forces in their God-given ancestral lands. The vast majority of Africans don’t want Arabs and their barbaric way of life in their countries. What Boko Haram, Al Shabab or others Arab agents are doing is exactly what their prophet have done. They are the true Muslims who truly live according the Koran, Hadith of Sunna. I lived in many of those African and Arab countries, Africans now know what happened to their ancestors in the past, how their brothers and sisters are treated in those 22 Arab countries. believe me, Africans sooner or later will exterminate Arabs and their imperialistic tool, Islam. Thank God one tiny spot, called Israel is out there. Boko Haram = True Muslims.
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@Bobby M
Since whites are not native to America, it’s unfair to the natives that whites have not assimilated (except for their widespread consumption of corn and use of the native government systems).
So using your logic, whites have no right to practice any form of Christianity or Judaism whatsoever in America.
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@Jethro
It seems to me this is a narrative commonly used by people under inept and corrupt governments—such as Hindu nationalists in India, Buddhists in Myanmar, and extremists in Europe and the “West”. The same narrative—but a different scapegoat is used by Muslims who live under failed States or inept/corrupt governments……It is a convenient narrative for the government because it deflects the real problems of low economic prospects, wealth inequality, corruption, oppression and injustice in government and society onto the “other”. To solve problems that stem from injustice and inequality, systemic justice and equality have to be implemented—but this means that the privileged and the elite in government and society will be heavily effected…and since they are the ones that hold power—they prefer to deflect the problems onto a scapegoat….
As long as we keep forgetting that we are brothers and sisters in humanity and that we all equally deserve peace, prosperity and happiness….we will not be able to fully implement Justice and Equality.
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hw-mobile.worldstarhiphop. /u/vid/2015/01/5WJnzHabNols_mobile.mp4
I don’t know if this video will play, but if you listen to it you will find that the same “tactics” “used” for Boko Haram, and views about Boko Haram, are also implemented in Black neighborhoods, and thought about Black Americans here in the U.S. .
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SMH: Military Analyst Explains Why He Thinks The U.S. Will Not Do More To Stop Boko Haram “Black, West Africa Is Not A Priority”
The link I left above does not work. If you want to see the clip copy and paste the above and google it. It’s an analyst talking about how the US will ” handle” ( if you can call it that ) Boko Haram and why the US doesn’t care because Whites have not been affected by Boko Haram violence. He actually comes out and just says what every Black person knows instinctually, and what most White people will deny to the bitter end (even though they know the truth too). Listening to him I see why so many Black American neighborhoods are in the shape they are in; the same “tactic” is utilized.
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Watch the 4:11 version.
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See if this link works
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6H55PKPWvU)
This should be to the 4:11 version.
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@Abagond, not sure if I have broken the rules with the above posting, if so, please delete it and pardon my faux pas.
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@ Diasporan
I moderate YouTube links to prevent them from embedding. Put then inside parentheses like I did with your link just above.
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Thank you, will do from here on in.
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This is beyond horrible. I’m still in shock over this. However, I’m not surprised that it was largely ignored by the Western media. #BlackLivesMatter is needed more than ever.
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“sharinalr
@Diasporan
This here was my favorite quote from the link:
“The “civilized” have created the wretched, quite coldly and deliberately, and do not intend to change the status quo; are responsible for their slaughter and enslavement; rain down bombs on defenseless children whenever and wherever they decide that their “vital interests” are menaced, and think nothing of torturing a man to death; these people are not to be taken seriously when they speak of the “sanctity” of human life, or the conscience of civilized world. (James Baldwin)”
This classic james baldwin quote sums up the current media’s perspective for me.
When do we finally acknowledge that we live under a vicious dominance hierarchy in which white people hegemony – masquerades as the “west” ,democracy and free speech.
The reason the “media” focus on one tragedy and ignores others is because the “media” just like the “courts” and the “police” etc are staffed owned and controlled by white people who are racist or “exclusively self /group interested”.
However I consistently get the impression that most black people ether can’t or will not see this.
I already got the impression with previous attacks(as well as numerous other examples) that most black people ,especially most africans have the same value of themselves as white europeans –
one small observation – the president of the most powerful african nation in africa – has a completely white european name
and on top of that its a sarcastic phrase about fate -really?!
As remarkable as a conscious african american catholic – go figure??!
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To resw77:
Since whites are not native to America, it’s unfair to the natives that whites have not assimilated (except for their widespread consumption of corn and use of the native government systems).
Since manifest destiny and mass emigration effectively sprung from Christianity I’d actually say that argument has some merit, certainly in the 16th and 17th centuries. For the 21st century.. it’s way too late.
I suspect if the indigenous people of America had the disease resistance of Africans (and had local illnesses which were deadly to Europeans..) the Americas would still be majority indigenous.
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To Diasporan:
re:
http://www.ajamubaraka.com/the-charlie-hebdo-white-power-rally-in-paris-a-celebration-of-western-hypocrisy/
Yet, when I think I have seen it all, along comes the response to the attack at the racist, Islamophobic publication Charlie Hebdo
Charlie Hebdo is arguably juvenile but they went after the Catholic church much more often (and were sued 11 times because of it..) than the Muslim faith (sued one time for offending Islam). The latter was not successful because as the court decided they were mocking extremist Islam and not all Muslims (and one of the Charlie Hebdo staffers killed was Muslim..). And if you think the French wouldn’t uphold laws against religious slurs, they did successfully prosecute the French Icon Brigitte Bardot multiple times for insulting Islam.
The Charlie Hebdo White Power Rally ..
Hmmm, even though more than a third of the victims of the attack would not be considered white by white supremacists .. it’s a white power rally.
It is the arrogant lack of respect for the ideas and culture of non-European peoples that drove the French ban on the wearing of the niqab and other traditional veiling clothing for Muslim women, just one example of the generalized discriminatory treatment of Arabs and Muslims in France.
Well it’s questionable if the niqab is even required by Islam… France is enforcing a law passed in 1905 to muzzle religion (at that time Catholic church..) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1905_French_law_on_the_Separation_of_the_Churches_and_the_State like it or not that’s the way it was when the large majority of Muslims migrated to France in 1960s and 70s. Of course at that time many women who were adherents to Islam didn’t wear a niqab. Here’s an example of a Muslim family visiting Sweden in 1971. Note that none of the women are wearing a veil or an head covering.. oh yes.. the name of that family is well known.. Bin Laden….. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/8487691/Osama-bin-Laden-dead-life-and-family-in-pictures.html
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France—-from what I read, the French-Muslims say they are asking for the same protections that are given to French-Jews
For example a french comedian was arrested for making anti-Jewish remarks,
or, France sent out troops to protect its Jewish communities after the attacks but left Mosques vulnerable resulting in over 50 incidents against Mosques in just a week….!!!…..
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Here’s one thing I am confused about in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo incident that I don’t get, and I hope some of you who are more informed can help me out on: Why does it seem to be a duality happening at the same time for free speech from one side of the government mouth, then I heard some people were arrested for speaking their minds? Is it the people who spoke their minds against a certain agenda were thought criminals? You guys tell me, because I will admit I’m a little confused.
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How does that tie into the baga-massacre if at all? When less than 20 lives mean more than thousands. I know some here will make it a thing about color and class, when suffering in Africa doesn’t seem to be a geopolitical priority. By the way I would find it hard pressed to disagree with that. But is there some deeper evil here we can’t see? Is it all about power? Money? Or is it a deficiency of logic that plagues us all. I also wonder if the spotlight is shined on certain injustices and unrighteousness for political gain? Well a well know newspaper attack would probably achieve big audience naturally without the conspiracy narrative, but 2000 people isn’t small potatoes. Neither is hundreds of thousands of Christians in the middle east. I don’t think there are those in a smoke filled rooms scheming and pushing these narratives, but I do believe that the Christians in the middle east hold very little “green” power, as do the Africans who suffered here. Maybe people should stop looking at the bottom line of their bank accounts and look more to their hearts. Just a theory. 😉
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By the way, my thoughts are my own. F Foxnews. F MSNBC(which by the way is just as bad and is ruled by an agenda) I have elementary school age kids, and while I feel good ideas should be shared in a “collective” force, I also believe in the free will of the individual that God has bestowed upon his good people. I tell them all the time when they come home acting like another kid that there is no one like them. That they are one of a kind, and to be yourself is the best way to be. Not saying that bad habits or bad actions can’t be corrected, but don’t be a phoney. … Do you, and do it well. Take the best from any political view and fuse it. That’s what I do. So to me all lives do matter, because that’s in my heart. That being said in this country we have representatives. Most of them don’t represent us before special interests. We need to make them do it. Instead of infighting, we as free beautiful individual humans need to come together in a coalition of like minded for a common goal. That means the “blacklivesmatter narrative is false imo. It alienates potential allies for the cause of all humanity. Just as I feel there is a narrative pushed for political gain in other countries of terrorist attacks, there is one here that divides like minded people on the basis of race and class and left /right and every other dichotomy that you can possibly think of.. young, old , etc. Most of white people that you want to be mad at are not in the 1%. If anything there are more jews at the top than anything else, so if you want to find a “culprit” (which I am vehemently against) maybe start there. Bottom line is most Jews aren’t guilty as most white people in general aren’t. Just like you can’t blame all black people for “insert criminal statistic that fits narrative”. We have common goals and need to find them and work on those so the things we disagree on seem not as important. I don’t disagree with pointing out the negatives when they are stifled in the press. But don’t stifle the positives either. God Bless.
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One take.. drops mic.
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btw.. I clean houses for a living, doesn’t make me less of anything. Just putting that out there.
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Thank you Uncle Milton.
Depicting the ultra-left Charlie Hebdo as “racist and islamophobic” shows that Ajamu Baraka doesn’t know what he is talking about. He is clearly stuck in his own mindset, if that is the correct expression.
After all, if you see how the magazine opposed the racist Front National, then you should know otherwise.
See also http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/01/11/1357057/-The-Charlie-Hebdo-cartoons-no-one-is-showing-you#
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@ Bobby M
Your comment has not shown up at mr. Baraka’s blog.
That shows he got the same “arrogant lack of respect for ideas and culture” as, according to mr. Baraka, the French have.
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And for the record, I am just as amazed of the lack of outcry on the Baga massacre as most people here.
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Abagond, hey, I’m a pretty faithful reader of your blog and don’t comment very much, but I am also Nigerian. I really hope you read my comment because I want to make some additions.
First, as you know, the situation is complex, the rural, heavily Muslim north has both a lot and very little geopolitical power in Nigeria. Most of the educated and intelligentsia of Nigeria ( at least Western-educated) reside in the south. This means that Boko Haram attacking the North is not as relevant to many Nigerians who actually vote or watch television, but Boko Haram attacking Lagos or Port Harcourt for example would be A nigerianwide disaster. The North has the lowest literacy levels, the highest poverty levels and etcetera. Here is a scholarly paper on levels of poverty in northern nigeria http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/nssppb17.pdf
Another informal gallup poll, shows that northerns are more unhappy with leadership than southerners are, and also more likely to see their incomes falling, despite Nigeria’s poverty rate falling to 33%.http://www.gallup.com/poll/152780/Northern-Nigerians-Views-Not-Line-Boko-Haram.aspx
And even more, Goodluck Jonathan is uninterested and does not care about northern votes he might recieve because, as you can see, the north is not his major source of support, the south is. Here’s another link proving my point; http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12941582
In fact, when the girls went missing, that weekend was the very weekend our president chose to have a lavish wedding for his adopted daughter where all the guests were given free i-phones, pictures here:http://www.bellanaija.com/2014/04/25/president-jonathans-daughter-faith-godswills-trad-white-wedding-george-osodi/
So basically, it’s not about being unequipped or Nigeria’s shambolic military, after all, when Lagos and the south was threatened with Ebola, Nigeria moved swiftly to contain the disaster and even successfully was declared Ebola before America was.Nigerian leadership simply lacks the political will to deal with the Boko Haram threat. I would hazard a guess that if Boko Haram attacked Lagos or Port Harcourt or Delta or GEJ’s home state, they would be smited mercilessly.
Another wrench in the plans is that it is suspected that many of the top northern nigerian politicians actually support Boko Haram.
An excerpt from this paper on boko Haram, ”
It is widely rumored that certain northern
Nigerian politicians may have provided support and/or funding to the group in its early years. ”
And here’s the paper, btw:https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R43558.pdf
There was even a source where a top military general stated that northern elites are funding Boko Haram to hurt GEJ’s presidency, but I cannot find it anymore.
So, recap: 1) Boko haram attacks the rural backwater north, where Nigeria has not invested time, resources, money or care. A north that does not vote for the president and which the president has little political will to deal with.
2) It is speculated, no one knows for exact sure that northern politicans are funding the efforts of Boko haram to further their political struggles.
And now 3). and I am espcially shocked that you missed this abagond. Nigeria wanted to buy better machinery to attack Boko Haram but the US blocked the sale of such weapons.
Ny times article:quoted :http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/25/world/rifts-between-us-and-nigeria-impeding-fight-against-boko-haram.html?_r=0
America blocked the sale of a Cobra helicopter from Israel over concerns that Nigerians “Are attacking their own citizens” You, abagond, ought to know how hypocritical that statement is.
Of Course the US charged in to “help” Nigeria train our soldiers when Nigeria asked for help finding the girls. The girls have not been found and the US has not left since.
Shame, abagond, for taking the official party line on this, come on, You usually write such engaging pieces. Remember to be careful of the US news sources, their data is biased and they stated that they expect “Nigeria to break apart by 2015”.
Please email me if you have any other things you want to know .
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