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 North-East
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 and 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 newsmen 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 newsmen 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.”.
Newsmen
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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