Tackling Boko Haram

A GLIMMER of hope has been shone on the fate of more than 200 missing Nigerian schoolgirls following the release of a video this morning. The video, which was obtained by the French News Agency AFP, shows about 130 of the girls wearing full length abayas and apparently praying. Speaking for 17 minutes the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, claims that the girls, the majority of whom were Christian, have converted to Islam.
The plight of these girls has gripped the world. In a rare break from tradition the American First Lady, Michelle Obama, took the weekly Presidential address to appeal for help. The hashtag bringbackourgirls has become an international phenomena, with British Prime Minister David Cameron promoting it on national television.
The video released by Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is forbidden" has helped to galvanize the campaign. Already teams from the UK and USA are on the ground helping with the search for the girls, who were kidnapped on April 14th, and an Israeli counter-terrorism unit is reportedly on its way.
A number of observers have warned, however, that this international agenda has detracted from the larger scale threat posed by the group. Since January Boko Haram has been responsible for more than 1500 deaths in the area. In February they were reportedly responsible for the deaths of a 59 boys in a school in the northeast Nigerian town of Bama.
The French government has offered to host a summit with Nigeria and its neighbours to combat the threat which Boko Haram poses to the stability of the region. Speaking during a visit to the Azeri capital Baku on Saturday French President Hollande said: "With Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathon,  I have proposed to hold a meeting with the countries bordering Nigeria."
Nigerian Interior Minister Abba Moro has dismissed the terrorist group's video demands for a prisoner exchange, stating that it was "absurd" for them to set demands.
With the world now watching a meaningful solution to tackling Boko Haram is firmly on the agenda. By releasing the video, however, it appears as though they are prepared to use emotional blackmail to distract from their attempts to destabilise the region.
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