20 March 2014
Article from NY Times found here
The worst terrorist group in Africa, Boko Haram, declared war on Nigeria almost five years ago. As more time goes by, the organization only grows stronger, and more Nigerian civilians are killed. Earlier this month, 100 were killed in car bomb attacks and 45 boys attending a state-run boarding school were killed. The Nigerian military has been slow to respond to attacks and has not had soldiers stationed at obvious points of attack without explanation. In the words of the reporter:
"Boko Haram’s attacks brutally underscore what is already obvious to all Nigerian citizens: The state does not have their backs. It is not there for them. It plays no role in protecting them or succoring them, a truism amplified a hundred times over in the course of daily life, far from the terrorist group’s killing zones."
I feel really sorry for the people of Nigeria; it's so sad that they are left to face the horrors of Boko Haram essentially alone, and the corruption described at the end of this article is pretty appalling. After learning about some of the struggles this country faces today, reading this article gave a more personal perspective on what Nigerians deal with.
We talked in class today about how Nigeria's military is one of the sole forces that has maintained stability yet this article seems like they aren't maintaining stability in Nigeria very well at all.
ReplyDeleteYeah that's what I was thinking Nathan. Nigeria's military is supposed to be strong? Based on what? It doesn't seem like they are doing too much with this terrorist group.
ReplyDeleteI think these points bring us to the original question we asked in class yesterday, "Should Nigeria even be a functioning State?" Like you guys said, if their only reliable group when it comes to historical events cannot intervene then there must be a problem. I think this article is a great example of how weak states don't have their hold on much.
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