FRANCE: U.S. Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman tells reporters the world's attention is focussed on the "havoc" being wrought by Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram

Record ID: 236735

  • Title: FRANCE: U.S. Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman tells reporters the world's attention is focussed on the "havoc" being wrought by Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram
  • Date: 17th May 2014
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (MAY 17, 2014) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF ELYSEE PALACE REPORTERS UNITED STATES UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE WENDY SHERMAN SPEAKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED STATES UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE WENDY SHERMAN SAYING: "How do we move forward? Nigeria has had a lot on its hands. The world is aware of these young school girls who were abducted. But quite frankly Boko Haram has been creating havoc for some time. And now the world's attention is on that fact. All of the regions surrounding have their eyes on that fact. Cameroon just suffered its own Boko Haram attack at a Chinese company last night. So we are all coordinated, we are all focused, this doesn't stop at borders, terrorism does not know borders and so we're going to work in a collective manner to get the job done." FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED STATES UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE WENDY SHERMAN SAYING: "So whether it is on development, whether it is the deployment of intelligence assets to find out where the girls may be... you know I think it's now become our girls, not just Nigeria's girls, it's the world's girls and there is a very deep commitment to bringing them home." SHERMAN LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 1st June 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA214TEBC9ZQH6J4CA8C3SF6U8S
  • Story Text: U.S. Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said on Saturday (May 17) the international community was coordinated to fight against the "havoc" Boko Haram is wreaking.
    Although the Nigerian Islamist militant group have been fighting for five years, carrying out many bombings and attacks on civilians as well as security forces, the kidnapping last month of more than 200 female students from a school in Chibok, northeast Nigeria, has focused world attention on them.
    Suspected Boko Haram rebels from Nigeria attacked a Chinese work site in northern Cameroon on Friday (May 16), killing at least one Cameroonian soldier and at least 10 people were believed to have been abducted, the regional governor and Cameroon state radio said.
    "The world is aware of these young school girls who were abducted. But quite frankly Boko Haram has been creating havoc for some time. And now the world's attention is on that fact. All of the regions surrounding have their eyes on that fact. Cameroon just suffered its own Boko Haram attack at a Chinese company last night. So we are all coordinated, we are all focused, this doesn't stop at borders, terrorism does not know borders and so we're going to work in a collective manner to get the job done." Sherman said, after a meeting in Paris attended by West African leaders and hosted by French President Francois Hollande to discuss the threat by Boko Haram.
    The United States has deployed manned surveillance aircraft over Nigeria and sent military, law-enforcement and development experts to the country to help search for the missing girls.
    "So whether it is on development, whether it is the deployment of intelligence assets to find out where the girls may be... you know I think it's now become our girls, not just Nigeria's girls, it's the world's girls and there is a very deep commitment to bringing them home," Sherman said.
    Earlier on Saturday, Britain offered to send advisers to help the Nigerian military organise its efforts to fight Boko Haram rebels who also threaten to destabilise the wider region.
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