Don’t designate Boko Haram a Foreign Terrorist Organisation –American Scholars Warn US

Hillary Clinton

Twenty  American scholars with a special interest in Nigeria and broad expertise on African politics have warned the United States government not brand Nigeria’s violent Islamic sect Boko Haram a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, (FTO).

The scholars who are drawn from various universities across United States, in a letter to Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of state believe such designation would internationalise the Boko Haram menace and enhance its profile among Al-Qaeda and other global militant groups.

“An FTO designation would internationalize Boko Haram’s standing and enhance its status among radical organizations elsewhere. 

“Boko Haram’s recent tactics, including the use of suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices, raise questions about their foreign links.

“The network’s focus has been overwhelmingly domestic, despite an August 2011 attack on the United Nations office in Abuja. Rhetorically, some of Boko Haram’s critique of northern underdevelopment and elite corruption is within the realm of mainstream political discourse.” the scholars argued.

The scholars also explained that branding this group a terrorist organization would also bar Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and academic researchers in US from having interactions with them.

Boko Haram

Their words:

“Should Boko Haram be designated an FTO through this regime, it would be illegal for non-governmental organizations to interact with members of Boko Haram – even if the purpose of such contact was to persuade them to renounce violence.

“An FTO designation would prevent independent scholarly inquiry about Boko Haram, and increase suspicion in the future about researchers with no governmental ties.

“Public policy benefits from dialogue with public scholars, and an FTO designation would effectively criminalize broad categories of research.

“A lasting solution to Boko Haram will require robust political and developmental components initiated by the Nigerian government and broadly endorsed by the Nigerian people.”

The letter which was made available to us was written ahead of this week scheduled meeting between Nigeria’s Security Adviser Patrick Azazi and US Secretary of States, Hillary Clinton in Washington DC.

Those who signed the letters are the following: Carl LeVan (American University), Peter Lewis (Johns Hopkins University), Jean Herskovits (SUNY – Purchase) , Daniel J. Smith (Brown University), Adrienne LeBas (American University), R. Kiki Edozie (Michigan State University), Brandon Kendhammer (Ohio University), Susan Shepler (American University), John Campbell (Council on Foreign Relations), David Dwyer (Michigan State University).

Others are: Paul Lubeck (University of California – Santa Cruz), Darren Kew (University of Massachusetts – Boston), Pearl Robinson (Tufts University), Laura Thaut (University of Minnesota – Minneapolis), Clarence Lusane (American University), Nicolas van de Walle (Cornell University), Judith Byfield (Cornell

University), Susan M. O’Brien (University of Florida), John Paden (George Mason University), Deborah Brautigam (Johns Hopkins University).

Boko Haram sect which means "Western education is sacrilege" has claimed responsibility for numerous bombings and killings of innocent Nigerians and security agencies, and their operations have been largely restricted to the North.

May 21, 2012