A statement issued by the US
State Department, yesterday, in Washington, said the US government was invoking
Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, and section
1(b) of Executive Order 13224 to designate Boko
Haram and Ansaru as Foreign Terrorist Organizations
(FTOs).
The Federal Government, which
had hitherto mounted pressure on the US against taking such action, also issued
a statement through Nigeria’s Ambassador to the US to explain why it accepted
the US classification of Boko
Haram and Ansaru as terrorist groups.
Decision taken November 8, 2013
According to Ambassador Ade Adefuye, the decision to
declare Boko Haram and Ansaru as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, was
taken at a meeting at the State Department on Friday, November 8, 2013,
and they took immediate steps to inform the authorities in Abuja.
He
said: “For the past couple of months, this embassy successfully countered pressures
from religious organizations and politicians both in Nigeria and the US on the
American government to make this declaration. Our belief then was that the
twin-track approach of enforcement and dialogue adopted by the Nigerian
Government would make Boko Haram see reason. Regrettably, the continued
intransigence of the sect compelled our government to proscribe the
organization on June 4, 2013.”
The Federal government said its earlier opposition of the
designation of Boko Haram and Ansaru as FTOs by the US was “because of the
wider implication and exposure to stringent measures that such actions will
impose on ordinary Nigerians”. But the State Department said its assistance to
Nigeria stresses the importance of protecting civilians and ensuring that human
rights are respected. It said designation of these groups as FTOs demonstrates
U.S. support for the Nigerian people’s fight against Boko Haram and Ansaru.
Ambassador Adefuye said: “We have taken note of the
statement by host authorities that the latest action is meant to enhance
further co-operation between Nigeria and the US in tackling this issue. The
Government of Nigeria remains committed to bringing to an end the atrocities of
Boko Haram in collaboration with our foreign partners.”
Activities of the radical Islamic sects have become worrisome to
the United States and other countries that are uncomfortable with Boko Haram,
which has been responsible for the death of thousands of civilians and security
personnel across religious divides in Northeast and central Nigeria since it
commenced its campaign in 2002. Also operating in Nigeria, Ansaru is a Boko
Haram splinter faction that earlier in 2013 kidnapped and executed seven
international construction workers.
Diplomatic sources said the
designation of Boko Haram and Ansaru as FTOs is “an important and
appropriate step, but just a step in a comprehensive approach by the Nigerian
government to counter these groups through a combination of law enforcement,
political, and development efforts, as well as military engagement, to help
root out violent extremism.”
Global FTOs
With this designation, Boko Haram and Ansaru would be treated
like other terrorist organizations like Hezbollah, Salafis movement or
Al-Qaeda, Al- Shabbab in the Horn of Africa, Taliban in Afghanistan, Haqqani in
Pakistan and Hamas in the Middle East, including Mujoa and Ansar Dine in
Mali. These are global networks of jihadist organizations that want to
institute orthodox theocratic states based on Islamic tenets and doctrines.
They have relied on criminal activities such as drug trafficking, arms
smuggling and kidnapping to raise funds for their campaign of terror worldwide.
The United States has been concerned about the link between Boko
Haram and Ansaru and Al-Qaeda in Magreb AQIM and the Al-Shabaab Islamic sect
operating in East Africa from where the group gets its training and logistics
support. Al-Qaeda in The Maghreb stretches from the North African nations of
Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, to Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Mali,
Niger, Chad, Cameroon, and Northern Nigeria.
Implications for Nigeria
The consequences of these
FTO and E.O. 13224 designations include a prohibition against knowingly
providing, or attempting or conspiring to provide material support or resources
to, or engaging in transactions with Boko
Haram and Ansaru, includes freezing of
all property and interests in property of the organizations that are in the
United States, or come within the United States or the control of U.S. persons.
The Department of State took these actions in consultation with the Departments
of Justice and Treasury.
These designations will assist U.S. and other law enforcement partners
in efforts to share intelligence, training of security operatives in counter
intelligence strategies, investigation and prosecution of terrorist
suspects associated with Boko Haram and Ansaru.
Security and Intelligence experts said this declaration would
require the US Congress to enact relevant legislation to back the
anti-terrorism campaign in Nigeria. “There are also strong beliefs that the US
might use its controversial drone programme to attack leaders of these radical
groups which have declared that they would attack the US and her
interests in Nigeria.
Dr. Dan Mou, a retired director
in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abuja told Vanguard that designation of Boko Haram and
Ansaru as Foreign Terrorist Organisations means that America will now treat
Nigeria as a terrorist country and Nigerians travelling to the US, would be
singled out for special attention. It would mean that Nigerians applying to
travel to US would face a stringent visa regime.”
Special security
scrutiny
Foreign Affairs Ministry
sources further told Vanguard that “the classification affects
members of Boko Haram sect would of course, affect innocent Nigerians while the
issue of who is innocent is purely subjective so we as citizens of Nigeria will
have to pay the price.”.
Vanguard learnt that Nigerians who have visited
countries like Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Algeria, Ethiopia, Eritrea,
Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali, Libya, Niger, Yemen, and Chad where Al-Qaeda and
its affiliates are known to operate are marked out for special security
scrutiny in the United States.
Among its most lethal attacks, Boko Haram carried out
indiscriminate attacks in Benisheikh, Nigeria in September 2013 that killed
more than 160 innocent civilians, including women and children. Boko
Haram has also conducted attacks against international targets, including a
suicide bombing of the United Nations building in Abuja on August 26, 2011,
that killed 21 people and injured dozens more, many of them aid workers
supporting development projects across Nigeria.
Ansaru’s attacks have focused on Nigerian military and Western
targets. In November 2012, Ansaru raided a police station in Abuja, killing
Nigerian police officers and freeing detained terrorists from prison. Also in
January 2013, Ansaru attacked Nigerian security services when its members
ambushed a convoy of Nigerian peacekeepers. Ansaru has also conducted
several kidnappings of foreigners living and working in Nigeria.
Nigeria-US relations
Ambassador Adefuye further said that the action of the US State
Department would not affect relations between the two countries
negatively. He said, “The Embassy wishes to assure American investors and
tourists that our country remains a favourite destination for investors and
tourists”.
He said “Every nation has its security challenges in one section
of its geographical entity. The threat of Boko Haram exists in some parts of
the 36 states of Nigeria.
According to the envoy, there are “many American investors who
are presently in Nigeria and we have received firm assurances from the
host authorities that the declaration is only to speed up the process of ending
Boko Haram atrocities. The intensity of US-Nigeria relations will not in any
way be adversely affected: The Nigeria-US Bi-National Commission will continue
to be implemented with vigour. Our citizens will not be subjected to
unnecessary harassment at Immigration border posts. The economic, social and
political ties with the United States will continue to wax stronger”.
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