A video posted online yesterday
apparently showed seven French hostages kidnapped from northern Cameroon, with
a masked militant claiming the radical Islamic group Boko Haram from
neighbouring Nigeria held them.
apparently showed seven French hostages kidnapped from northern Cameroon, with
a masked militant claiming the radical Islamic group Boko Haram from
neighbouring Nigeria held them.
The video, posted to YouTube and mentioned on a jihadist
website, shows one of two French men reading a statement, with a woman in
between them. Four children sit on the ground near them, flanked by two masked
militants wearing camouflage uniforms and holding rifles.
website, shows one of two French men reading a statement, with a woman in
between them. Four children sit on the ground near them, flanked by two masked
militants wearing camouflage uniforms and holding rifles.
A masked militant in front said in the video that Boko Haram
kidnapped the French hostages, who were taken from Cameroon’s far North Region
last week. A black banner in the background, bearing the images of the Qur’an
flanked by two Kalashnikov assault rifles, also resembles a symbol previously
used by Boko Haram.
kidnapped the French hostages, who were taken from Cameroon’s far North Region
last week. A black banner in the background, bearing the images of the Qur’an
flanked by two Kalashnikov assault rifles, also resembles a symbol previously
used by Boko Haram.
The man said the kidnappings came due to the French military
intervention in northern Mali, where its troops have fought with Malian
soldiers against Islamic extremists who took over the north in the months
following a coup last year. The man also threatened the Nigerian and
Cameroonian governments, calling on them to release their imprisoned members.
intervention in northern Mali, where its troops have fought with Malian
soldiers against Islamic extremists who took over the north in the months
following a coup last year. The man also threatened the Nigerian and
Cameroonian governments, calling on them to release their imprisoned members.
“Let the French president know that he has launched war against
Islam, and we are fighting him everywhere,” the man said in Arabic. “Let him
know that we are spread everywhere to save our brothers.”
Islam, and we are fighting him everywhere,” the man said in Arabic. “Let him
know that we are spread everywhere to save our brothers.”
The man threatened to kill the French hostages if the group’s
demands were not met.
demands were not met.
The Associated Press could not immediately confirm the video’s
authenticity by yesterday, though it shared similarities with some Boko Haram
propaganda videos published in the past. However, in this video, the man spoke
entirely in Arabic, while other Boko Haram videos had its leader Abubakar
Shekau also speaking the Hausa language of Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim
north. However, Boko Haram had not published a video featuring hostages before.
The video also appeared to have been filmed outside, as prayer mats hung in the
background sway in a breeze.
authenticity by yesterday, though it shared similarities with some Boko Haram
propaganda videos published in the past. However, in this video, the man spoke
entirely in Arabic, while other Boko Haram videos had its leader Abubakar
Shekau also speaking the Hausa language of Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim
north. However, Boko Haram had not published a video featuring hostages before.
The video also appeared to have been filmed outside, as prayer mats hung in the
background sway in a breeze.
The French gas group, GDF Suez, last week identified the captives
as an employee working in the Cameroon capital of Yaounde and his family. The
group was vacationing in the north, a company statement said without
elaborating.
as an employee working in the Cameroon capital of Yaounde and his family. The
group was vacationing in the north, a company statement said without
elaborating.
Cameroonian and Nigerian soldiers continue to search for them in
the arid, rural border region the two countries share in West Africa.
the arid, rural border region the two countries share in West Africa.
Waza Park, a natural wildlife reserve in Cameroon’s Far North
Region, attracts mainly foreign tourists. But the area often suffers from raids
by bandits lurking in Cameroon, Chad and neighbouring Nigeria, who often abduct
locals for ransom. A local witness told the AP he saw gunmen on motorcycles
abduct the tourists. They were kidnapped on February 19.
Region, attracts mainly foreign tourists. But the area often suffers from raids
by bandits lurking in Cameroon, Chad and neighbouring Nigeria, who often abduct
locals for ransom. A local witness told the AP he saw gunmen on motorcycles
abduct the tourists. They were kidnapped on February 19.
Boko Haram — which means “Western education is sacrilege” — has
launched a guerrilla campaign of bombings and shootings across Nigeria’s
predominantly Muslim north. It is blamed for at least 792 killings last year
alone, according to an AP count. It is known to have ties to al-Qaida in the
Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, an Algerian-based group that opened a front in Mali.
launched a guerrilla campaign of bombings and shootings across Nigeria’s
predominantly Muslim north. It is blamed for at least 792 killings last year
alone, according to an AP count. It is known to have ties to al-Qaida in the
Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, an Algerian-based group that opened a front in Mali.
The sect, which typically speaks to journalists in telephone
conference calls at times of its choosing, could not be immediately reached for
comment yesterday.
conference calls at times of its choosing, could not be immediately reached for
comment yesterday.
Boko Haram remains highly fragmented, without a clear
command-and-control structure. One splinter organization launched from Boko
Haram appears to be Ansaru, which has claimed the recent northern Nigeria
kidnappings of a British citizen, a Greek, an Italian, three Lebanese and one
Filipino, all employees of a Lebanese construction company called Setraco. The
group earlier claimed the kidnapping in December of a French national working
on a renewal energy project in Nigeria’s northern Katsina State.
command-and-control structure. One splinter organization launched from Boko
Haram appears to be Ansaru, which has claimed the recent northern Nigeria
kidnappings of a British citizen, a Greek, an Italian, three Lebanese and one
Filipino, all employees of a Lebanese construction company called Setraco. The
group earlier claimed the kidnapping in December of a French national working
on a renewal energy project in Nigeria’s northern Katsina State.
However, the video claiming the kidnapping comes after supposed
Boko Haram leaders denied they took part in the kidnapping this weekend —
leading to more questions about who actually remains in control of the group.
Shekau hasn’t been seen in a video since late November.
Boko Haram leaders denied they took part in the kidnapping this weekend —
leading to more questions about who actually remains in control of the group.
Shekau hasn’t been seen in a video since late November.
A total of 15 French citizens are currently being held in
western Africa — in addition to the seven kidnapped in Cameroon, there is one
other in Nigeria and seven thought to be in northern Mali.
western Africa — in addition to the seven kidnapped in Cameroon, there is one
other in Nigeria and seven thought to be in northern Mali.
Source: Leadership
