Diplomatic source says
contact has been made between government and Islamist group through
intermediaries.
|
Nigeria's government and
Boko Haram have been in indirect talks to end deadly violence blamed on the
Islamist group, sources familiar with the discussions have revealed.
"There have been
preliminary talks between a Boko Haram-appointed intermediary," a senior
security official told the AFP news agency on condition of anonymity, adding
that Boko Haram has set out terms for a temporary ceasefire.
The diplomatic source
said contact had been made between Nigeria's government and Boko Haram through
intermediaries.
The security official
said Boko Haram has proposed a three-month truce if all of its detained members
are released and if the government halts any further arrests. He said the
government was looking at the proposal.
The news of
planned negotiations comes as more violence was reported in the troubled
town of Maiduguri, in northern Nigeria.
Authories said two
people were killed on Thursday by gunmen suspected to be members of Boko
Haram.
'Level of uncertainty'
The biggest challenge
for Nigerian authorities would be establishing who represents and speaks for
the hardline group.
"The Nigerian
police have gathered intelligence from suspects arrested, but the leaders are
still at large and one can imagine that there will be a level of uncertainty on
the part of the authorities that they are engaging the right people.
"First of all, it
is not sure that we are talking to the right people, especially with the
factionalism prevalent in Boko Haram."
- Andrew Strehlein,
ICG spokesperso
|
Andrew Stroehlein,
communications director of the International Crisis Group in Brussels, told Al
Jazeera that while talks were a positive development, there were a range
of difficult questions to consider.
"First of all, it
is not sure that they are talking to the right people, especially with the
factionalism prevalent in Boko Haram. This means that even if they reach an
agreement, this does not mean that the agreement will be honoured," he
said.
Calls for peace
Government officials
either declined comment on the information or could not be reached.
Boko Haram has been blamed for scores of shootings and bomb blasts, mostly in northern Nigeria, which have killed more than 1,000 people since 2009.
Boko Haram has been blamed for scores of shootings and bomb blasts, mostly in northern Nigeria, which have killed more than 1,000 people since 2009.
It claimed responsibility
for an August suicide attack at the UN headquarters in the capital Abuja which
killed 25 people.
Boko Haram also
claimed co-ordinated bombings and shootings in Nigeria's second city
of Kano on January 20 which left 185 people dead, its deadliest assault yet.
The group had initially
claimed to be fighting for the creation of an Islamic state in northern
Nigeria, but its aims and structure have since become less clear, while its
attacks have grown increasingly deadly and sophisticated.
Calls have mounted for
talks to take place, with Nigerian authorities seemingly unable to stop
attacks by the group, which have shaken Africa's most populous nation
and largest oil producer.
While there have been no
attacks on the scale of the Kano carnage since January, sporadic violence has
continued, including bombings of police stations and attacks on checkpoints.
Boko Haram is
believed to have a number of factions, but the indirect talks were said to be
with the main branch of the group led by Abubakar Shekau.
Intense speculation
Last week's killing of a
British and an Italian hostage in northwestern Nigeria was blamed on a splinter
faction of Boko Haram, though many have expressed doubts over the group's
alleged involvement.
Boko Haram had not been
previously known to carry out kidnappings, and a spokesman for the group has
denied responsibility.
There has been intense
speculation over whether Boko Haram has ties to outside groups, including
al-Qaeda's north African branch.
"The leaders are
afraid that they could be arrested once they come out for direct talks. The
major hurdle is to win their confidence that nothing will befall them if they
show their faces. "
- Security Official
|
Diplomats say such links
have been limited to training for certain Boko Haram members and that there has
been no evidence of operational ties.
According to the
security official quoted by the AFP, one of the intermediaries for the
indirect talks was a northern religious scholar trusted by Boko Haram.
"The problem is not
about the sect's readiness for dialogue, but winning their trust and confidence
that the government is genuine in its intentions because they still have the
fear of betrayal and back-stabbing on the part of the government,"
the official said.
"The leaders are
afraid that they could be arrested once they come out for direct talks. The
major hurdle is to win their confidence that nothing will befall them if they
show their faces."
The diplomatic source could not provide details, but said there had been "real contacts" between the government and Boko Haram through intermediaries.
The diplomatic source could not provide details, but said there had been "real contacts" between the government and Boko Haram through intermediaries.
A previous attempt to
engage Boko Haram in talks early last year failed when the
group objected to the demand that they surrender their arms as a condition
for a peace agreement that would have involved an amnesty, the security
official said.
Those talks were mediated by a former state governor, he said.
Those talks were mediated by a former state governor, he said.
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