Muslim Council of Britain Offers to Mediate With Boko Haram Over Abducted Nigerian Schoolgirls
By The Trent
LONDON, United Kingdom — The Muslim Council of Britain has offered to hold talks with Boko Haram as Nigerian community leaders in Britain seek the release of schoolgirls abducted by the insurgent group.
Bimbo Afolayan, chairman of the Central Association of Nigerians in the UK (CANUK), disclosed the offer on Friday, May 16, 2014, during a demonstration outside the Nigerian High Commission in London.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Afolayan said his organisation had approached the Muslim Council for assistance after considering ways to support the Nigerian government’s efforts to address the insurgency.
The proposed intervention comes amid an international campaign calling for the release of the abducted schoolgirls, whose captivity has prompted protests and offers of assistance to Nigeria from foreign governments.
Nigerian Group Calls for Negotiations
Afolayan said CANUK had agreed to urge the Nigerian government to explore negotiations with Boko Haram, including the possibility of exchanging prisoners to secure the girls’ freedom.
The association subsequently contacted the Muslim Council of Britain, which, according to Afolayan, expressed its willingness to engage the insurgent group in talks.
“We will pursue this seriously,” Afolayan said.
He did not provide details of when the proposed discussions might begin or how the Muslim Council would establish contact with Boko Haram.
Afolayan also announced that CANUK had established a security committee to advise the Nigerian government on measures to address the insurgency beyond the immediate effort to secure the girls’ release.
He said the association wanted to prevent further abductions and ensure that any resolution of the current crisis would be accompanied by measures to protect other potential victims.
Protesters Seek Release of Schoolgirls
Jenny Okafor, a human rights activist who organised the demonstration outside the Nigerian High Commission, also urged the government to consider negotiations with Boko Haram.
Okafor expressed concern about the condition of the schoolgirls, who had been held for more than a month.
She said their prolonged captivity had exposed them to trauma and called for their immediate release.
Okafor also acknowledged the assistance offered by the international community to the Nigerian government in its efforts to secure the girls’ freedom.
The protest formed part of the international response to the abductions, which had drawn attention through the Bring Back Our Girls campaign.
