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Nigeria Said to Declare Cease-Fire With Boko Haram Militants Nigerian Army Reports Truce With Militants
(about 9 hours later)
DAKAR, Senegal — Nigeria’s top military official has declared a cease-fire with Boko Haram, the militant Islamist group that kidnapped more than 200 girls from a rural school months ago, three leading Nigerian news organizations reported on Friday. DAKAR, Senegal — Nigeria’s top military official has declared a cease-fire with Boko Haram, the militant Islamist group that kidnapped more than 200 girls from a rural school months ago, three leading Nigerian news organizations reported on Friday.
Nigeria’s chief of defense staff, Alex Badeh, was cited as issuing an order to comply with the cease-fire “in all theaters of operations” against Boko Haram, which has battled the government for years, overrunning villages in the country’s northeast. The reports said the cease-fire came amid negotiations over the schoolgirls and their possible release. Nigeria’s chief of defense staff, Alex Badeh, was cited as issuing an order to comply with the cease-fire “in all theaters of operations” against Boko Haram, which has battled the government for years, overrunning villages in the country’s northeast. The reports said the cease-fire came amid talks over the schoolgirls and their possible release.
Previous reports of a cease-fire between the government and Boko Haram have later proved untrue, leading some experts to question the likelihood of an agreement on Friday. Previous reports of a cease-fire have later proved untrue, leading some experts to question the likelihood of an agreement on Friday.
After Boko Haram group kidnapped the schoolgirls in April, the Nigerian military soon said that they had been rescued. The girls are still missing, and there was no word about their fate on Friday. Soon after Boko Haram abducted the schoolgirls in April, the Nigerian military said they had been rescued. But as of Friday there was no word about their fate.
Similarly, Mr. Badeh announced early on that the girls had been located in the country’s northeast. But there was no follow-up to that announcement, and none have since been rescued. Similarly, Mr. Badeh previously said that the girls had been located in the northeast. But there was no follow-up and none have since been rescued.
The reported cease-fire comes as the president, Goodluck Jonathan, is expected to announce a bid for re-election next year in a contest that numerous analysts say is likely to provoke the violence that often characterizes Nigerian elections.The reported cease-fire comes as the president, Goodluck Jonathan, is expected to announce a bid for re-election next year in a contest that numerous analysts say is likely to provoke the violence that often characterizes Nigerian elections.
Ahmed Salkida, a former Nigerian journalist who has had close contact with Boko Haram in the past and is widely thought to maintain some links with the group, expressed skepticism about the reported agreement on Friday. Ahmed Salkida, a former journalist who has had close contact with Boko Haram in the past and is widely thought to maintain some links with the group, expressed skepticism about the reported agreement.
“It also appears that govt is more interested in shadows and bubbles, than in substance and clear headed engagement wt d #BH ideology,” Mr. Salkida wrote on Twitter. “It also appears that govt is more interested in shadows and bubbles, than in substance and clear headed engagement wt d #BHideology,” Mr. Salkida wrote on Twitter.
There was no immediate official statement on the reported cease-fire from the Nigerian government, and neither government nor military spokesmen could be reached Friday afternoon. The cease-fire was reported by three leading Nigerian news websites, Premium Times, Punch, and Daily Trust, with the last quoting the official Nigerian news agency, NAN.There was no immediate official statement on the reported cease-fire from the Nigerian government, and neither government nor military spokesmen could be reached Friday afternoon. The cease-fire was reported by three leading Nigerian news websites, Premium Times, Punch, and Daily Trust, with the last quoting the official Nigerian news agency, NAN.
There was also no word from Boko Haram itself through the means it normally uses to make announcement — a video delivered by the group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau. A group member who transmits the videos to Nigerian media told reporters there was nothing to the latest government announcement. A Boko Haram member who transmits videos from its leader told reporters that there was nothing to the latest government announcement.
The news reports cited a Boko Haram negotiator who was not previously known to be a member of the group. As news came of the cease-fire, there were new reports of fighting between members of the group and soldiers in Cameroon, which borders Nigeria. The news reports cited a Boko Haram negotiator who was not previously known to be a member of the group.