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UN committee imposes sanctions on Nigeria's Boko Haram UN committee imposes sanctions on Nigeria's Boko Haram
(about 2 hours later)
The UN Security Council has approved sanctions against the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram, five weeks after it kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls.The UN Security Council has approved sanctions against the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram, five weeks after it kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls.
It will now be added to a list of al-Qaeda-linked organisations subject to an arms embargo and asset freeze.It will now be added to a list of al-Qaeda-linked organisations subject to an arms embargo and asset freeze.
US envoy Samantha Power said it was an "important step" in support of efforts to "defeat Boko Haram and hold its murderous leadership accountable".US envoy Samantha Power said it was an "important step" in support of efforts to "defeat Boko Haram and hold its murderous leadership accountable".
Analysts say it is hard to say what practical effect the move will have.Analysts say it is hard to say what practical effect the move will have.
Boko Haram was earlier blamed for the deaths of 27 people in a north-eastern village. "Boko Haram commanders and their leaders do not travel with passports, they travel on the ground in hijacked vehicles; they don't have any formal assets that anyone can point to - it is not a formal organisation," Omoyele Sowore of Nigeria's citizen journalism website Sahara Reporters told the BBC.
Residents said gunmen had shot dead farm workers in Chikongudo, set fire to nearly all the homes there and stolen food in an attack on Wednesday night. The assailants stormed the village in cars and motorbikes, a trademark of Boko Haram, the residents added. Boko Haram was earlier blamed for the deaths of 27 people in a north-eastern village on Wednesday, a day after twin bombings killed 122 in the central city of Jos. The authorities suspect Boko Haram of being behind them, but there has so far been no claim of responsibility from the group.
It came a day after twin bombings killed 122 in the central city of Jos. The authorities suspect Boko Haram of being behind them, but there has so far been no claim of responsibility from the group. Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan is due to travel to South Africa for discussions with other African heads of state on combating terrorism in Africa following on from last weekend's summit hosted by France.
Who are Boko Haram?
• Founded in 2002
• Initially focused on opposing Western education - Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language
• Launched military operations in 2009 to create Islamic state
• Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria - also attacked police and UN headquarters in capital, Abuja
• Some three million people affected
• Declared terrorist group by US in 2013
Who are Boko Haram?
Profile: Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau
Why Nigeria has not defeated Boko Haram
Earlier President Jonathan's Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, said African presidents should take responsibility for their failures and resolve their own conflicts.
"I find that our leaders, who should have been working together all along to address these problems that only affect their countries, wait until they are invited to go to Europe. Why does anybody wait for that? What image does it even give about Africa?" he said.
'Al-Qaeda training''Al-Qaeda training'
Boko Haram was added to the al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee's list of designated entities on Thursday at the request of Nigeria. Boko Haram was added to the UN Security Council's al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee's list of designated entities on Thursday at the request of Nigeria.
"Today, the Security Council took an important step in support of the government of Nigeria's efforts to defeat Boko Haram and hold its murderous leadership accountable for atrocities," Ms Power said. The sanctions designation would help "close off important avenues of funding, travel and weapons" to the group, Ms Power said.
The sanctions designation would help "close off important avenues of funding, travel and weapons" to the group, she added. On Wednesday, Nigeria's permanent representative, Joy Ogwu, said: "The important thing is to attack the problem, and that is terrorism."
On Wednesday, Nigeria's permanent representative, U Joy Ogwu, said: "The important thing is to attack the problem, and that is terrorism."
The BBC's Barbara Plett Usher in New York says Boko Haram's links with al-Qaeda have come under scrutiny.The BBC's Barbara Plett Usher in New York says Boko Haram's links with al-Qaeda have come under scrutiny.
Reports quoting a draft UN document said its members had received training from al-Qaeda affiliates and fought alongside them in Mali.Reports quoting a draft UN document said its members had received training from al-Qaeda affiliates and fought alongside them in Mali.
Protests But Mr Sowore said he regarded the UN's move as merely "symbolic".
"I'm trying to be very nice using the word symbolic otherwise I would have called it ridiculous," he told the BBC's Newsday programme.
"One of the things that was interesting about al-Qaeda was that Osama bin Laden and his colleagues were multi-millionaires; they had rogue states like Afghanistan behind them. Those kind of assets can be traced and frozen; but Boko Haram are engaging in bank robberies, they are taking money for ransom, they don't have those kind of assets that you can go after."
Boko Haram, which has killed thousands of people in Nigeria through a wave of bombings and assassinations since 2009, is fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state.Boko Haram, which has killed thousands of people in Nigeria through a wave of bombings and assassinations since 2009, is fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state.
The government's failure to prevent attacks since launching an offensive against Boko Haram a year ago has triggered widespread anger. The government's failure to prevent attacks since launching an offensive against Boko Haram a year ago has triggered widespread anger, especially since the kidnapping of the schoolgirls.
On Thursday, protesters demanding the return of the schoolgirls snatched from their classrooms in the north-eastern town of Chibok and taken hostage five weeks ago were prevented from reaching the presidential villa in the capital, Abuja. A statement from President Jonathan read out to the demonstrators in the capital, Abuja, on Thursday said the state was doing all it could to secure their release.
A statement from President Goodluck Jonathan read out to the demonstrators said the state was doing all it could to secure their release.
He also urged them to ensure their "zeal is matched with a realistic understanding of the situation".He also urged them to ensure their "zeal is matched with a realistic understanding of the situation".
The statement did little to placate the crowd, and one protester shouted: "Another small window for Jonathan and he refuses to use it."The statement did little to placate the crowd, and one protester shouted: "Another small window for Jonathan and he refuses to use it."
Teachers across Nigeria also held a day of protests on Thursday in support of the abducted schoolgirls.
Teaching unions said they were also marching in memory of the 173 teachers killed by militants and called on the authorities to increase protection for schools, which were closed for the day.
Nigeria under attackNigeria under attack