Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Video - The Origins of Boko Haram
The Nigerian armed group Boko Haram has gained international notoriety after the kidnapping of more than 270 schoolgirls in northern Nigeria. But the group has been a big problem for the Nigerian government for more than 12 years. Al Jazeera's Rawya Rageh travelled to Maiduguri where the group originated.
Related stories: Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
Video - Discussion about African leaders declaring total war on Boko Haram
UK Spy Plan sent to help find kidnapped schoolgirls breaks down
A UK spy plane sent to help search for more than 200 girls abducted by militant Islamists in Nigeria has developed a technical fault.
It has been forced to land in Senegal for repairs, the Ministry of Defence said.
The plane left the UK on Sunday, joining an international effort to secure the release of the girls.
The Boko Haram group captured the girls from their boarding school in Chibok town in north-east Nigeria on 14 April.
The US military is flying manned and unmanned surveillance aircraft over Nigeria to look for the girls, Reuters news agency reports.
Suicide blast
Israel says it has sent intelligence experts and specialists in hostage negotiations to help with the rescue effort.
The BBC's Will Ross in Nigeria says the plane's breakdown is a set-back for the UK government which promised to do all it can to help with the search operation.
Boko Haram says it is prepared to free some of the girls in exchange for the release of its fighters and relatives being held by Nigeria's security forces.
Nigeria's government says it is prepared to hold talks with Boko Haram, but has reportedly ruled out a prisoner swap.
On Sunday, a suicide blast in a street full of bars and restaurants in the northern Nigerian city of Kano killed four people.
Officials blamed Boko Haram for the explosion.
More than 1,000 people have been killed in Boko Haram attacks this year but the government has said it has pushed the militants back into their strongholds in the north-eastern Borno state.
This is where they seized the school girls, causing international outrage.
African leaders meeting in Paris at the weekend agreed to wage "war" on Boko Haram, pledging to share intelligence and co-ordinate action against the group.
The group is fighting to overthrow the Nigeria government and create an Islamic state.
But it has often attacked Muslims, including preachers who disagree with its interpretation of Islam.
BBC
Related stories: US commence aerial search for kidnapped schoolgirls in Nigeria
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
It has been forced to land in Senegal for repairs, the Ministry of Defence said.
The plane left the UK on Sunday, joining an international effort to secure the release of the girls.
The Boko Haram group captured the girls from their boarding school in Chibok town in north-east Nigeria on 14 April.
The US military is flying manned and unmanned surveillance aircraft over Nigeria to look for the girls, Reuters news agency reports.
Suicide blast
Israel says it has sent intelligence experts and specialists in hostage negotiations to help with the rescue effort.
The BBC's Will Ross in Nigeria says the plane's breakdown is a set-back for the UK government which promised to do all it can to help with the search operation.
Boko Haram says it is prepared to free some of the girls in exchange for the release of its fighters and relatives being held by Nigeria's security forces.
Nigeria's government says it is prepared to hold talks with Boko Haram, but has reportedly ruled out a prisoner swap.
On Sunday, a suicide blast in a street full of bars and restaurants in the northern Nigerian city of Kano killed four people.
Officials blamed Boko Haram for the explosion.
More than 1,000 people have been killed in Boko Haram attacks this year but the government has said it has pushed the militants back into their strongholds in the north-eastern Borno state.
This is where they seized the school girls, causing international outrage.
African leaders meeting in Paris at the weekend agreed to wage "war" on Boko Haram, pledging to share intelligence and co-ordinate action against the group.
The group is fighting to overthrow the Nigeria government and create an Islamic state.
But it has often attacked Muslims, including preachers who disagree with its interpretation of Islam.
BBC
Related stories: US commence aerial search for kidnapped schoolgirls in Nigeria
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
Monday, May 19, 2014
Video - Discussion about African leaders declaring total war on Boko Haram
African leaders agree to join forces and declare war on the armed group in Nigeria. Kamahl Santamaria speaks to Phil Rees, a filmmaker with the Al Jazeera Investigative Unit and author of 'Dining with Terrorists', Max Gbanite, a Strategic Security consultant and defence analyst and Aliyu Musa, an independent researcher on War and Conflict Study.
Related stories: Video - Nigerian Senator disgusted with Government's failure to find kidnapped schoolgirls
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
Suicide bomber kills 4 in Kano, Nigeria
A suicide blast in a street full of bars and restaurants in the northern Nigerian city of Kano has killed four people, police say.
One of those killed was a girl aged 12, they say.
Witnesses say the explosion was caused by a bomb in a car in the mainly Christian area of Sabon Gari.
The area has previously been targeted by Boko Haram Islamist militants but it is the first attack on Nigeria's second biggest city for several months.
More than 1,000 people have been killed in Boko Haram attacks this year but the government has said it has pushed the militants back into their strongholds in the north-eastern Borno state.
This is where they seized more than 200 girls last month, in a case which shocked the world and prompted foreign powers to send military advisors to assist Nigeria's army tackle the insurgency.
The street in Sabon Gari was full of revellers and street hawkers when a car exploded.
The BBC's Will Ross in Nigeria says that Sunday's blast was so powerful that all that remains of the car is its engine. The blast could be heard from several miles away.
"At about 22:00 [21:00 GMT], we heard an explosion and immediately mobilised to the scene where we discovered a suicide bomber... Five people, including the bomber, were killed," Kano Police Commissioner Adelere Shinaba said.
He said that the victims were "three men and a girl of about 12".
Kano is the largest city in the mainly Muslim north of Nigeria.
The bars and alcohol-sellers in its Sabon Gari area have been targeted on numerous other occasions.
In January 2012, about 150 people died there in a series of co-ordinated attacks by Boko Haram.
The group is fighting to overthrow the Nigeria government and create an Islamic state.
But it has often attacked Muslims, including preachers who disagree with its interpretation of Islam.
The Nigerian authorities are continuing the search for the kidnapped schoolgirls kidnapped.
The abducted schoolgirls, who include Christians and Muslims, were seized on 14 April.
Boko Haram released a video last week showing more than 100 of the girls and offering an exchange for prisoners.
African leaders meeting in Paris at the weekend agreed to wage "war" on Boko Haram, pledging to share intelligence and co-ordinate action against the group.
French President Francois Hollande called Boko Haram a "major threat to West and Central Africa", and said it had links with al-Qaeda's North-African arm and "other terrorist organisations".
The unrest in Nigeria has not just been confined to the north.
Earlier this month a car bomb in the capital Abuja killed at least 19 people and injured 60 more.
The explosion happened close to a bus station where at least 70 people died in a bomb blast on 14 April.
BBC
Related stories: Video - Fatality count in Abuja bomb blast rises to 75
Boko Haram attack market - 150 dead
Video - Muslims in Nigeria condemn Boko Haram's kidnapping of schoolgirls
One of those killed was a girl aged 12, they say.
Witnesses say the explosion was caused by a bomb in a car in the mainly Christian area of Sabon Gari.
The area has previously been targeted by Boko Haram Islamist militants but it is the first attack on Nigeria's second biggest city for several months.
More than 1,000 people have been killed in Boko Haram attacks this year but the government has said it has pushed the militants back into their strongholds in the north-eastern Borno state.
This is where they seized more than 200 girls last month, in a case which shocked the world and prompted foreign powers to send military advisors to assist Nigeria's army tackle the insurgency.
The street in Sabon Gari was full of revellers and street hawkers when a car exploded.
The BBC's Will Ross in Nigeria says that Sunday's blast was so powerful that all that remains of the car is its engine. The blast could be heard from several miles away.
"At about 22:00 [21:00 GMT], we heard an explosion and immediately mobilised to the scene where we discovered a suicide bomber... Five people, including the bomber, were killed," Kano Police Commissioner Adelere Shinaba said.
He said that the victims were "three men and a girl of about 12".
Kano is the largest city in the mainly Muslim north of Nigeria.
The bars and alcohol-sellers in its Sabon Gari area have been targeted on numerous other occasions.
In January 2012, about 150 people died there in a series of co-ordinated attacks by Boko Haram.
The group is fighting to overthrow the Nigeria government and create an Islamic state.
But it has often attacked Muslims, including preachers who disagree with its interpretation of Islam.
The Nigerian authorities are continuing the search for the kidnapped schoolgirls kidnapped.
The abducted schoolgirls, who include Christians and Muslims, were seized on 14 April.
Boko Haram released a video last week showing more than 100 of the girls and offering an exchange for prisoners.
African leaders meeting in Paris at the weekend agreed to wage "war" on Boko Haram, pledging to share intelligence and co-ordinate action against the group.
French President Francois Hollande called Boko Haram a "major threat to West and Central Africa", and said it had links with al-Qaeda's North-African arm and "other terrorist organisations".
The unrest in Nigeria has not just been confined to the north.
Earlier this month a car bomb in the capital Abuja killed at least 19 people and injured 60 more.
The explosion happened close to a bus station where at least 70 people died in a bomb blast on 14 April.
BBC
Related stories: Video - Fatality count in Abuja bomb blast rises to 75
Boko Haram attack market - 150 dead
Video - Muslims in Nigeria condemn Boko Haram's kidnapping of schoolgirls
Video - Nigerian Senator disgusted with Government's failure to find kidnapped schoolgirls
The Senator for Nigeria's Borno state said he is disappointed with how the government is dealing with the threat from Boko Haram. The armed group is behind the kidnapping of more then 200 school girls. There has been growing frustration with the slow pace of efforts to rescue them.
Related stories: Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
President Goodluck Jonathan cancels trip to Chibok, where schoolgirls were kidnapped
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