ICC Note:
The United Nations (U.N.) has officially condemned Boko Haram following its most recent attacks, one of which Amnesty International has estimated could have resulted in the deaths of as many as 2,500 Nigerians. A radical Islamic insurgency bent on establishing a separate Islamic state to be ruled by Sharia law, Boko Haram has waged a campaign of terror against Nigeria’s northern Christians for years, killing as many as 1,800 Christians in 2014 alone.
01/20/2015 Nigeria (ABC) – The U.N. Security Council condemned the recent escalation of attacks by Boko Haram on Monday, in its first formal reaction to the activities of the Nigerian extremist group that seized the world’s attention last year with the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls.
In a presidential statement approved by all 15 members, the council expressed deep concern that Boko Haram’s activities are undermining peace and stability in central and west Africa.
The statement was sponsored by Nigeria, which had been reluctant to have the council discuss the Islamic militant group despite being a member of the Security Council.
The Security Council has previously responded to specific terrorist acts by Boko Haram, including the abduction of 276 schoolgirls in Chibok last April, with press statements that do not become part of its official record. This was the first presidential statement, which does become part of the council record and is second in importance to a council resolution.
The statement comes on the eve of Tuesday’s meeting in Niger’s capital, Niamey, to discuss the regional response to the threat posed by the Islamic militant group, which is expected to include military action.
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