UN Blacklists Nigerian Boko Haram as Al-Qaeda

Local Editor

Boko Haram has been blacklisted as a branch of al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group on Thursday after the militants kidnapped about 300 schoolgirls in Nigeria last month [April].

The UN Security Council's al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee blacklisted the Boko Haram militant group during a session on Thursday, with the committee's decision subjecting Boko Haram to an arms embargo and international asset freeze.

Australian Ambassador to the UN Gary Quinlan and the al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee chair said, "We will work to try and make sure that anybody supplying any material assistance to Boko Haram- whether funding or arms- will in fact be stopped, will be deterred by the fact they too will be eligible for listing on the sanctions list."

However, the UN official said the move might not have any impact in practice.
Quinlan said, "What will the practical impact of that be? Hard to say, but it's an essential step we had to take," adding that the aim was to "dry up support" for the group.

Meanwhile, demonstrators marched to the residence of Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan in the capital of Abuja to express their anger over the government's failure to release the abducted girls.

Many schools across the country also closed to condemn Boko Haram's crimes.
Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for a number of deadly gun and bomb attacks in various parts of Nigeria since 2009.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team