#BringBackOurGirls. African Union joins in release effort

Activists hold a banner reading "Real Men Don't Buy Sex, Bring Back Our Girls" to denounce the kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls by Islamic militants on May 13 , 2014 in Malaga. On April 14, 2014, 276 schoolgirls were abducted in the northeastern Nigerian town of Chibook, with eight more seized from Warabe on May 5. The Islamist militant group Boko Haram claimed responsibility, and threatened to "sell" the girls into slavery. 

 

The African Union Commission has broken its silence on the abducted Nigerian girls, calling for united forces to collaborate in finding the girls.

Bineta Diop, commission special envoy for women, peace and security chairperson and founder of Femmes Africa Solidarité, said the Nigerian government, regional organisations, the African Union (AU) and the international community should partner to urgently and decisively act to bring the children home to their families and protect them from further danger.


“We stand with the Nigerian people, especially the parents and families of the abducted girls,” Diop said in a statement. “We send our sympathy to the families of the children and urge those who are responsible for their abduction to release them unharmed and return them.”
Diop added that women and girls had the right to live free from intimidation, persecution and all other forms of discrimination.

In a video released on Monday, Nigerian militant group Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau claimed to have converted the Christian girls to Islam.
Shekau warned the girls would not be released until Boko Haram prisoners were freed.
Boko Haram, which means “western education is a sin”, had killed about 10 000 people since its formation in 2002. The group had killed about 1 500 Nigerians since the beginning of this year, according to media reports.

The SA Commission for Gender Equality yesterday joined various organisations and world leaders in calling for the immediate and safe return of the girls.
Commission chairperson Mfanozelwe Shozi said the global community, the AU and its member states should bring collective political and moral authority to assist the Nigerian government in the safe return of the girls.

The ANC Women’s League plans to send a delegation to Nigeria to meet with women’s organisations and assist with the matter.
“If we put our heads together, as women we can hopefully come up with solutions to assist Nigerian women in their efforts. These are our daughters and we need to come together in times like these,” said league president Angie Motshekga.