Page 11 - ARUBA TODAY
P. 11
WORLD NEWS A11
Thursday 22 March 2018
Boko Haram returns Nigeria girls, warns not to put in school
By HARUNA UMAR upon hearing that she was The girls from the Government Girls Science and Technical College Dapchi who were kidnapped
KRISTA LARSON not among those freed. and set free are photographed during a hand over to government officials in Maiduguri, Nigeria,
Associated Press One 14-year-old released Wednesday March 21, 2018. Witnesses say Boko Haram militants have returned an unknown num-
DAPCHI, Nigeria (AP) — by the fighters told report- ber of the 110 girls who were abducted from their Nigeria school a month ago.
Boko Haram Islamic extrem- ers that five girls had died.
ists brought back nearly all She did not provide other (AP Photo/Hamza Suleiman)
of the 110 girls they had details and it was not im-
kidnapped from a board- mediately possible to inde- The girls were meeting with and the girls were left in the means "Western education
ing school last month, drop- pendently verify her claim. counselors at a nearby center of town. As terrified is forbidden" in the Hausa
ping them off in the middle The abductions in Dap- hospital, and "will be quar- residents emerged from language.
of the night Wednesday chi have evoked painful antined and be counseled their homes, the extremists Nigeria's government said
with a warning: "Don't memories of the tragedy before they go back to issued an ominous warning, 104 of the 110 schoolgirls
ever put your daughters in in Chibok, where 276 girls their schools," he added. resident Ba'ana Musa told had been confirmed freed.
school again." were kidnapped from their Nigeria's government later the AP. Some of the Chibok families
Several of the girls inter- boarding school. Nearly said they were being taken "We did it out of pity. And instead joined in rejoicing
viewed by The Associated four years later, about 100 to the capital on a military don't ever put your daugh- with the Dapchi parents,
Press said they had been of them have never re- plane. ters in school again," the said Lawan Zannah, secre-
traveling for days before turned home. Many had The fighters had rolled into residents said the extrem- tary of the Chibok parents'
the convoy of vehicles ar- been forced to marry their Dapchi in nine vehicles ists told them. Boko Haram association.q
rived in the center of the captors and had children
town of Dapchi around 2 fathered by them.
a.m. Residents who had The Nigerian government
fled upon hearing that denied that it had paid a
Boko Haram was headed ransom or made a prisoner
their way watched from swap in exchange for the
hiding as dozens of girls de- girls' freedom. The girls were
scended from the vehicles released "through back-
apparently unharmed. channel efforts and with
"We were freed because the help of some friends
we are Muslim girls and of the country, and it was
they didn't want us to suffer. unconditional," Information
That is why they released Minister Lai Mohammed
us," said Khadija Grema, told journalists in the capi-
one of the freed girls who tal, Abuja.
said a Christian classmate "No money changed
remained captive. hands. They only had one
The extraordinary devel- condition — that they will
opment brought elation return them to where they
to most of the families, but took them. So in the early
more heartache for the rel- hours of today, they did
atives of the six girls still un- return the girls and most of
accounted for. The sister of them went to their parents,"
one girl fainted Wednesday he said.
US targets South Sudan oil sector, ministries over civil war
By SAM MEDNICK purchase weapons, fund 1994. shut down the oil. It's an at- on all exports, re-exports
JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — militias and undermine The U.S. earlier imposed an tempt to oust the govern- and transfers of items com-
The United States is target- peace, the State Depart- arms embargo on South Su- ment because they know ing from the United States.
ing South Sudan's state- ment said in a statement dan. "We remain prepared our only source of revenue "We cannot stand by while
owned oil company, its oil Wednesday. to take additional actions" is oil," spokesman Michael the government uses the
and mining ministries and a This is the latest attempt to including more sanctions, Makuei told The Associated country's resources to fo-
dozen other oil-related en- hold accountable those State Department spokes- Press. ment violence and war,"
tities in an attempt to stem accused of blocking the woman Heather Nauert The list of entities was ob- Mark Weinberg, spokes-
the financial flow fuelling path to an end to the five- said. tained by the AP. Their man for the U.S. Embassy in
the country's civil war. year conflict, which has South Sudan's government placement on the Depart- South Sudan, told the AP.
South Sudan's government created Africa's fastest- responded angrily. The U.S. ment of Commerce's Entity Advocacy groups praised
and "corrupt official actors" growing refugee crisis since "is trying to destroy South List means the U.S. will im- the new pressure on oil-rich
are using the revenue to the Rwandan genocide in Sudan's economy and pose a license requirement South Sudan.q
