Boko Haram: US Congress members write Jonathan, call for decisive action

Worried by the continued wave of terrorists’ attacks by the Boko Haram and other terrorists group in Nigeria, five United States Congress members have written President Goodluck Jonathan urging him to take decisive action to quickly stop the insurgency.

In a letter dated April 30, the congress members warned that Nigeria and the West African region could be destabilized if the terrorists groups are not checkmated in the northern parts of the country and are allowed to carry out their threat to attack Lagos and other states in the south.

The congress members are Michele Bachmann, Dana Rohrabacher,Mike Pompeo, Louie Gohmert  and Chip Cravaack .

“We respect Nigeria’s sovereign right to conduct her own internal affairs, however; we see the wisdom of supporting decisive action. We believe that developing a comprehensive strategy of rooting out corruption at the highest levels of the Nigerian government, implementing economic development plans for your northern citizens, respecting the rule of law, and formulating counterterrorism measures that complement the increase in security funding, would be excellent steps to address the insurgency.

“A recent report by the United States House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security outlined the evolution of Boko Haram. Formed in the mid-2000s, this terrorist organization has gone from utilizing archaic weapons to the more sophisticated car bombings and targeted attacks. The report further states, “Boko Haram are being trained by Al Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). They are also believed to have ties to the Somalian militant group al Shabaab.” While there is little evidence that Boko Haram has reached the sophistication of Al Qaeda, we learned after the attacks on our homeland on September 11, 2001 that one must never underestimate the capabilities of those who use violence to perpetuate an ideology.

“We certainly recognize that aggressively targeting an insurgency is difficult, especially one like Boko Haram, that has done nothing but grow in strength in recent years. However, any alternative gives Boko Haram time to recruit new converts and develop even more deadly strategies. Your Administration can stem the tide of violence that persists in your country but the window of opportunity is closing.

“The United States and Nigeria enjoy a strong economic cooperation and a national security partnership. We look forward to this relationship continuing and appreciate your attention to this important matter” the congress members stated.

Source: The Nation