W5 -- Boko Haram denies truce, says kidnapped girls married

Boko Haram denies truce, says kidnapped girls married

7:22 p.m. EDT November 1, 2014

Ameen Auwalii, Special for USA TODAY

ABUJA, Nigeria — The leader of Nigeria's Islamist extremist group dashed hopes for the release of 200 kidnapped girls Saturday, denying reports of a truce with the government.

In a new video message, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau says the schoolgirls have converted to Islam and married off. "The issue of the girls is long forgotten because I have long ago married them off," he says, laughing.

The news goes counter to what the Nigerian government said nearly two weeks ago when it announced a cease-fire deal with the terrorist organization, raising hopes among the families of the kidnapped girls — who were taken from the northeastern Nigerian town of Chibok in April — that their daughters would soon be released.

But as the weeks dragged on with no sign of the kidnapped girls, hopes began to fade.

"I was very excited when I heard the news — I will finally reunite with my daughter," said Hamidah Amira, 36, whose 17-year-old daughter was kidnapped. But then desperation set in, especially as Boko Haram abducted dozens of young women and teenagers in northeast Nigeria and continued to launch attacks that forced hundreds to flee.

Despite those incidents, the government insisted negotiations with the Islamists were ongoing in Chad, as some began to raise doubts a cease-fire was even agreed upon by the group.

Martin Ewi, senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies' office in Pretoria, said he didn't think Boko Haram had agreed to a truce, citing the lack of public statements on the issue in the past two weeks.

"The government might be talking to one faction … and then you have the other factions which might not have bought into the idea of dialogue," he said.

Human Rights Watch estimates Boko Haram, whose name loosely translates as "Western education is forbidden," has abducted around 500 young women over the past five years.

Although some girls managed to escape from the Islamists, the whereabouts and the fate of the rest of the young women are uncertain.

A recent Human Rights Watch report, based on interviews with victims and witnesses of Boko Haram abductions, offers rare insight into a series of physical and sexual abuses the girls suffer in captivity, including rape, forced labor and beating.

"We found that the Nigerian government has never interviewed these girls, never really found out or learned what they've gone through, never attempted to do any kind of investigations," said Rona Peligal, Human Rights Watch deputy director for the Africa Division. "They were kind of left on their own."

Chibok resident Solomon Ali is deeply critical of the government's handling of the situation since the beginning.

"We were disappointed that the government has done nothing to ensure these girls are released," he said, adding officials have failed to keep the community informed.

Outraged by the kidnappings and the atrocities committed by Boko Haram, the international community has urged the Nigerian government to step up its efforts to free the girls. Since April, a campaign under the motto "Bring Back Our Girls" went viral on social media.

Peligal says Nigerian authorities should do a better job responding to the Boko Haram threat and ensuring protection around schools.

"The government needs to better anticipate and plan for those kinds of abductions because they're continuing," she said. "And the government should respond capably."

Ewi worries the girls would not be freed unless the government yields to Boko Haram's demands to release some of their militants.

"You can't pursue military operations and still be hoping to release the girls alive," he said.

Analysts warn the situation is likely to get worse in the months ahead of the 2015 election. Earlier this week, President Goodluck Jonathan, who is under increasing scrutiny for his failure to locate the girls, confirmed he would be running for re-election.

"The Boko Haram issue has been indeed politicized, and I expect it would be further politicized as we get closer to the election," said Peligal.

In the meantime, Amira — like other moms — waits, while making a personal appeal to Boko Haram to release her daughter and the other girls.

"They should sympathize with us, not with the government," Amira said.

 http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/11/01/boko-haram-kidnapped-girls/18311175/

Structure of the Lead：

   WHO-ABUJA, Nigeria

   WHEN-Saturday

   WHAT- dashed hopes for the release of 200 kidnapped girls

   WHERE- not give

   HOW- denying reports

Keywords：

         1. release：釋放

   2. convert：轉變

   3. marry off：嫁出去

   4. kidnap：綁架

   5. desperation：絕望

   6. abduct：拐走

   7. whereabouts ：下落

   8. witnesses ：證人

   9. scrutiny：審查

 10. politicize：政治化