After Boko Haram kidnapped hundreds of Chibok schoolgirls in April 2014, Abubakar Shekau, its leader, released a video asking the Nigerian government to “bring back our soldiers” if they wanted the girls back. This was a parody of the Bring Back Our Girls movement.
But there were discordant tunes from the Jonathan administration, with some officials saying there would be no negotiation with terrorists and others saying government was ready for a deal. At the end, no success was recorded and the girls are still in captivity.
President Muhammadu Buhari, in an interview with CNN on Tuesday, said he was ready to negotiate with Boko Haram for the release of the girls as long as the militants’ representatives are authentic. Specifically, he is not opposed to a prisoner-exchange deal, swapping some detainees for the girls to be reunited with their families and returned to school.
What do you think? Is that a white flag of surrender from Buhari or is it an olive branch to Boko Haram? Will this portray the government as weak or reasonable? Will this embolden or soften Boko Haram? Do you think Buhari has taken the right decision?
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Let have have your views. You can vote as well as leave a comment.
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2 comments
Most sensible governments maintain the posturing that they will not negotiate with terrorists , but behind closed doors will do so if it is seen as the only option to save the lives of innocent citizens. The end justifies the means.
It’s a good idea to make the exchange. After the exchange there would be a total sweep against BH…