Turkish link to Boko Haram?
Interesting/bizarre story.
Istanbul (AFP) - Turkish Airlines allegedly shipped weapons to unknown groups in Nigeria, which has been ravaged by violence between the army and Boko Haram militants, a new incriminating phone call revealed on Tuesday.
The leaked conversation is the latest blow to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been hit by a corruption probe ensnaring his key allies and a widening phone-tapping scandal.
Quote:
In a tape posted on YouTube, Mehmet Karatas, an assistant executive of the airline, allegedly tells Mustafa Varank, an advisor to Erdogan, that he feels guilty over national flag carrier's arms shipment to Nigeria.
"I do not know whether these (weapons) will kill Muslims or Christians. I feel sinful," Karatas is allegedly heard saying.
The leaked call has the potential to harm the airline's image -- which is 49 percent state-owned and is in an aggressive push to become a global player.
It is the latest in a series of recordings implicating Erdogan and his aides in corruption and other abuses of power ahead of crucial local polls on March 30.
The Turkish strongman has dismissed most of the tapes as "vile" fakes put together by rivals.
http://news.yahoo.com/turkish-airlin...202353840.html
New Nigeria plan to tackle Boko Haram wins plaudits
The title of a Nigerian news site, which is almost breathless in its applause:http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/03/n...wins-plaudits/
How about this passage as a taster:
Quote:
National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki unveiled the new measures in a rare public announcement that touched not only on past mistakes but indicated a more joined-up approach to tackling the crisis.
Dasuki’s “soft power” plan includes “de-radicalisation” programmes for suspected and convicted Boko Haram fighters as well as closer co-operation with communities most affected by the deadly violence.
Immigrations recruitment: 7 feared dead, dozens injured in stampede in Abuja
This has no direct connection with Boko Haram or other topics of interest to terrorism scholars. But it illustrates the massive youth unemployment & underemployment that fuels a lot of the problems in Nigeria.
In summary about 520,000 people applied for a little over 4,000 jobs - & as of today 16 people died in the ensuing stampede over the nation.
Quote:
ABUJA – At least seven people were killed and dozens injured in Nigeria’s capital after thousands of panicked job-seekers stampeded during a government recruitment drive in the national stadium on Saturday.
Survivors told AFP that thousands had gathered to apply for jobs with the immigration department in the Abuja stadium.
One witness said the stampede broke out as applicants surged towards a central stage. They said only one entrance to the 60,000-capacity stadium was open. It wasn’t clear how many people were inside at the time of the crush.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/03/i....4JlhEAik.dpuf
Reducing militancy: same approach, no change here?
Well the new strategy has certainly had a baptism of fire:
Quote:
Well over 500 people were killed in Nigeria last week when security forces responded to what the military portrayed as a jailbreak attempt by the Islamist group Boko Haram, making it one of the bloodiest episodes yet in the military’s five-year counterinsurgency campaign, according to officials in the northern town of Maiduguri.
As inmates streamed last Friday through the opened gates of Giwa Barracks, a notorious military detention center in Maiduguri, a military plane fired on them while soldiers on the ground also opened fire, killing scores, a senior hospital official in Maiduguri said.
Much about the episode remains unclear, such as how attackers were able to penetrate one of the most heavily fortified sites in northern Nigeria, in daylight. The assault, which the military called a Boko Haram raid, has not been claimed by the group, though it often does not claim responsibility for attacks. No Boko Haram member, living or dead, has been presented to the media, despite the military’s claim last week that “many of the terrorists and their weapons have been captured.”
Link:http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/21/wo...=67232673&_r=0
Reducing militancy: same approach, no change here? Part 2
Only a week ago I posted on a prison break and the five hundred shot escaping (Post ) and 'same approach, no change here' is sadly all too true. Yes JMA it is Africa.
From AJ's sub-title:
Quote:
At least 21 detainees shot dead during attempted escape from the cells of the secret police headquarters in Abuja.
Link:ww.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/03/nigerian-prisoners-killed-abuja-jailbreak-20143301832373181.html
Some more detail from the Nigerian website:http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/03/a...detainees-dss/
I've only did a short stint in a detention facility, but basic security was sadly neglected and what type of facility has armed staff inside? The Nigerian State Security Service's detention facility - stupid.:eek:
After the insurgency: some thoughts on reconciliation in Nigeria
Very interesting lecture by Matthew Hassan Kukah (Catholic Bishop of Sokoto). He's also scholar who wrote a book on "Religion & Politics in Northern Nigeria".
Quote:
After the defeat and following the exit of Sultan Attahiru, the burden of deciding the future for Islam rested in the hands of Muhammadu Buhari, the Waziri. In summary, three options were open to the rump of the caliphate. There were those who, like Onada above, believed that they would fight to the end and never surrender to the new conquerors. They believed that the caliphate could still be reclaimed and this is largely the lost glory that is being contested. Secondly, there were those who believed that some kind of cohabitation might be diplomatically worked out so that the religion could survive. Thirdly, there were those who believed that the new order should be supported and ways be explored to ensure a better future.
The Waziri, after advice from the scholars, decided to work out a modus vivendi with the colonial state. In his wisdom, he argued that since Lugard the conqueror had stated that all Muslims would be free to pray, pay Zakat and observe the Ramadan, there was no need for Hijra or continued fight. Since the caliphate had been founded as a home for Islam, the Waziri displayed some real diplomatic sagacity.
Amidst this dilemma, the Waziri received counsel to cooperate with the colonial state. According to a judge in Gwandu: The world is a house of distress…The Christians do not impede religion and the rites of Islam established in our land. Their goal is seeking for territory and the over lordship in worldly matters. As regards Islam, they do not hinder anyone from it, from Futa to here…This is our particular kind of friendship with them at present. We show regard to them with the tongue and have intercourse with them in the affairs of the world, but never love them in our heart nor adopt their religion[5]. From then till now, the battle over the perception of the role of Islam and the State has merely been shaped by circumstances, but the key issues have not changed. The feeling that this loss can be redressed and that we can return to these glory days resides deep down.
This is not the place for us to go into the details of this phase of protest. However, the significance of this reference lies in the fact that it helps us understand the origins of violence in northern Islam. But we need to make one passing remark as to how and why all this relates to the tensions between Islam and Christianity today.
- See more at: http://www.theadvocatengr.com/index.....sr6aadBr.dpuf
Nigeria violence: Seventy killed in Abuja bus blasts
Very sad news, site is about 15 minutes from central Abuja:
Quote:
More than 70 people have been killed in two blasts that rocked a crowded bus station on the outskirts of Nigeria's capital, Abuja, officials say.
The blast happened as commuters were about to board buses and taxis to go to work in central Abuja, the BBC's Haruna Tangaza reports.
Eyewitnesses say there are dead bodies scattered around the area.
Suspicion immediately fell on the Boko Haram Islamist militant group, which has staged previous attacks in Abuja.
However, most of its attacks have been in the north-east of the country.
Abbas Idris, head of the Abuja Emergency Relief Agency, told the BBC that so far they have confirmed 71 people dead and 124 injured.
Police spokesman Frank Mba gave the same figures, adding that 16 luxury coaches and 24 minibuses had been destroyed.
Eyewitness Badamasi Nyanya said he had seen 40 bodies being evacuated; other eyewitnesses say they saw rescue workers and police gathering body parts.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27018751
Waging War in Nigeria, and Seeking New Battlegrounds
Waging War in Nigeria, and Seeking New Battlegrounds
Entry Excerpt:
--------
Read the full post and make any comments at the SWJ Blog.
This forum is a feed only and is closed to user comments.
Gamboru Ngala massacre, knock-on effect from the Chibok rescue effort?
Boko Haram is said to have exploited the efforts to recover the girls kidnapped from Chibok in their raid on the town of Gamboru Ngala. From the New York Times:
Quote:
Dozens of militants wearing fatigues and wielding AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenade launchers descended on the town of Gamboru Ngala, chanting “Allahu akbar,” firing indiscriminately and torching houses. When it was over, at least 336 people had been killed and hundreds of houses and cars had been set on fire, said Waziri Hassan, who lives there, and Senator Ahmed Zanna. […] “Yesterday, people were still trying to pick up dead bodies,” Mr. Zanna said. “It’s really traumatizing.” The senator said the insurgents had used two armored personnel carriers stolen from the Nigerian military several months ago.
Two APCs stolen from the Nigerian military? :confused:
What Gives Boko Haram its Strength
What Gives Boko Haram its Strength
Entry Excerpt:
--------
Read the full post and make any comments at the SWJ Blog.
This forum is a feed only and is closed to user comments.
Kidnapped girls: pawns in an insurrection
Having watched some US news reporting on the external reaction to the kidnapping of the school girls, I looked for some enlightenment.
A short CTC commentary:http://tinyurl.com/kzxr9bd
A commentary from the Oxford Research Group (ORG), gives a good background:http://www.oxfordresearchgroup.org.u...ion_boko_haram
An African observer's comment http://muslimsinafrica.wordpress.com...ssein-solomon/ that ends:
Quote:
Abuja needs to capitalize on this and reinvigorate the fight against the Islamists once and for all. Instead, as I sit watching my television screen, I am filled with dismay as the Nigerian government offers to negotiate with Boko Haram. This constitutes a dereliction of duty – a betrayal of national trust – on the part of the Jonathan government.
I fear the girls are a "lost cause", after all they were kidnapped on the 14th April 2014. Western help, however discrete in country, I suspect will enhance Boko Harem's message. When will such help leave, or as ORG fear see mission creep or are the girls just pawns?
Stirring the pot can confuse
A taut analysis by RUSI's Rafaello Pantucci 'The Franchising of Boko Haram' and here is one passage:
Quote:
Having claimed responsibility for attacks in areas traditionally dominated by Boko Haram whilst operating under a different name and ideology, Ansaru has further complicated Western efforts to gain an insight into the psyche of Islamic fundamentalism in Nigeria. Beyond this, the broader explosion in violent activity across northern Nigeria since 2012 reinforces the notion that Boko Haram has developed into a brand whose ‘franchise’ has been adopted by all sorts of other organisations. This makes an understanding of Boko Haram even more complicated, with the already opaque nature of the group lending itself well to an umbrella organisation to which anyone can attribute their actions.
Link:https://www.rusi.org/publications/ne.../#.U3yuZnZZAdV
Corruption Hampers Fight Against Boko Haram
Corruption Hampers Fight Against Boko Haram
Entry Excerpt:
--------
Read the full post and make any comments at the SWJ Blog.
This forum is a feed only and is closed to user comments.
Nigeria: watching and debating its future
Muslims, Christians Riot Over B'Haram Attacks In Borno, 100 Massacred
This is what I was really afraid of.
NB: This part of Nigeria isn't known for Muslim/Christian clashes. This is what Boko Haram will eventually lead to - 1. Reprisal attacks by Christians 2. Formation of Christian militias 3. "Lebanonization" or the situation in Central African Republic being repeated.
Entirely predictable. The legitimacy of the state is being challenged.
Quote:
At least 100 people have been killed in religious riots in Attagara, Aghapalwa and Gwoshe border communities in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
Christians and Muslims have been killing each other over series of attacks by the Islamic militants, Boko Haram.
No fewer than nine Christian worshippers were said to have been killed last Sunday by the Islamic militants during a service in Attagara village with many others critically injured.
According to reports, the youths in a spontaneous reprisal mobilised themselves and went after the terrorists, killing 37 of them.
However, following the reprisal, sources said some Muslim youths felt the Christian youths did not attack Boko Haram but other Muslims whom they alleged were members of the sect who had attacked and killed Christians and burnt their churches in Attagara Village.
Revenge attacks against the Christian youths led to the burning of the whole village and killing of over 100 villagers.
An elder and member of the community, Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed, told journalists in Maiduguri that Boko Haram members came about 1a.m., attacking the villages as a punishment for killing their members who had earlier attacked churches and communities in the area.
He, however, said that most of the villages in Gwoza were now divided along religious lines, as Christians living among Muslims had fled their homes to relocate to Christian dominated areas.
Muslims, living in areas dominated by Christians have also fled to Muslim dominated areas.
http://skytrendnews.com/index.php/ne...-100-massacred