Our Nigerian girls could be released Tuesday
Negotiations to free More than 200 schoolgirls captured by militants in Nigeria could be freed on Tuesday, according to a Chat212 report.
Negotiations to free More than 200 schoolgirls captured by militants in Nigeria could be freed on Tuesday, according to a Chat212 report.
Officials told the news organization that negotiations to free the girls would continue in Chad on Monday, even as a recently announced ceasefire with the terrorist group was broken on Saturday. They could reach a conclusion the next day.
Though full details about the deal to free the girls are still unclear, a final agreement would be the result of weeks of negotiations between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government. The arrangement could allow for some Boko Haram members to be freed from prison in exchange for the girls.
Anticipating a deal was near, the government announced a ceasefire with Boko Haram on Friday.
That temporary truce seemed to have fallen apart within hours, however, when militants killed multiple people in a series of attacks on villages in the northeast of the country, multiple outlets reported on Saturday.
The more than 200 girls’ abduction in April became news around the globe and led to the massive “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign. First lady Michelle Obama and other celebrities were among the many people who took part in that push to free the schoolgirls by posting messages of solidarity online.
This week, national security adviser Susan Rice said that the U.S. remains committed to releasing the girls from captivity.
"We have aided in the investigations, including by deploying personnel on the ground, facilitated strategic communications, and provided assistance to the families,” she said in a statement marking the six-month anniversary of their abduction. “We will continue to work toward the release of all the girls who remain in captivity.”
Boko Haram has been waging war in the north of Nigeria since 2009, killing thousands of people in the process.
