In a meeting with the now former United States Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, at the Government House, Abuja, president Buhari disclosed that the Federal Government was going to choose negotiation over military action in securing the release of the kidnapped Dapchi schoolgirls in order to ensure they are returned safe and unharmed.
President Buhari, while speaking with Tillerson, said that it was safer and better advised to negotiate for the release of the girls from the hold of the sect because it would ensure that the girls are returned safely.
The Role of non-political Negotiators in the Release of the Schoolgirls
On the 7th of May, 2017, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) received 82 schoolgirls from the stronghold of the Boko Haram sect after the sect had reached an agreement with the Federal Government to release the girls in exchange for the release of 5 detained Boko Haram commanders.
The negotiation which was secured by the Federal Government in conjunction with the Swiss government and local key actors like Barrister Zannah Mustapha and (human rights activist and lawyer) Aisha Wakil, who wield trust due to pre-existing relationship with one or more factions of Boko Haram, had previously led to the release of 21 girls in October, 2016.
The Government of Switzerland, through Noemie Charton, the spokesperson for the Switzerland Foreign Ministry, declared that its commitment and participation was motivated majorly by humanitarian concerns. A part of the statement read:
“Switzerland’s engagement in this operation was guided by the principles of strict neutrality and non-interference.”
Also, according to the ICRC, its role in the negotiation is neutral and absolutely non-partisan. Aleksandra Mosimann, Communications Coordinator of the ICRC, disclosed in the statement, that the ICRC only acted as a neutral intermediary based on the agreement of the two parties directly involved as specified in the mandate of the ICRC.
Mama Boko Haram: The Tale of the Woman who has the attention of the Sect
Barrister Aisha Wakil, a former member of the Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges (CDPRSC) in the northern region of Nigeria under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, is a respected North-East Human Rights Activist and popularly referred to as Mama Boko Haram and is said to be highly respected by some leaders of Boko Haram.
During her time as a member of the CDPRSC, she is credited to have been highly instrumental in setting up negotiations and meetings between the military and Boko Haram Commanders.
Her affiliation to Boko Haram and respect among the leaders of the sect is credited to the fact that she had helped in the circumcision of some kids over twenty years ago who later became members of the sect.
Barrister Aisha is said to have the attention of the sect and has a lot of influence on their leaders. In an interview where she appealed to the leader of the Boko Haram sect, she said:
“I heard you are now been called ‘Abu Mussad Albarnawi’ but I know you as Habib and I am begging you to stop the killing and abduction. I have sent many messages to you. I don’t know if you are getting these messages or you just choose to continue to hurt your mother and make her cry.
“Dear Habib, Nuru and others, I was told you may be the ones responsible for the kidnapped of these girls. Where ever you may be if you are listening to me, I beg you in the name of Allah to release the girls back to their families.
“What type of children will continue letting their mother to continue crying. Dear Habib, I pray Allah touches your heart and that of your colleagues to stop what you are doing. Please come out. I will never deny you even if the whole world did. Those who know you know your heart. They know you are no longer interested in the fight anymore.
“I will hold all of you and wrap you with my wrapper and bring you out and no one is going to shoot you. If they will shoot you, they will have to shoot me first. I don’t mind sacrificing my life if you will stop what you are doing. If I die to stop Boko Haram, I know I will go to paradise.”
In a statement she directed to the Federal Government, she said that the sect will not surrender to anyone in ‘air-conditioned rooms’ and urged the government to come down to the State level and synergize with people who are highly respected by the members of the sect.
“I might not be the only one; I might not even be part of it. I don’t care; my own is just to scream the way I am screaming. And if I get them, I tell them, my son, you are not hearing what is happening.
“They know the name they call me. So they should calm down. Or is it that they don’t want to look for them or they believe that by staying somewhere in air-conditioned rooms, the boys will just start coming?
“Someone has to come down, talk to them, they will do their talking to them too in the bush, you will see. You know, there are questions they will ask. You will see them start coming (out).”
Barrister Aisha has indicated that she is willing to risk her life to secure the release of the girls and revealed that she was in contact with the Boko Haram sect with regards to the Dapchi Schoolgirls and they have confirmed that they were holding the girls and were willing to release them soon enough.
Is Boko Haram using Schoolgirls as Bargaining Advantage to sustain their Operations?
The statements by Barrister Aisha Wakil raised some questions among Nigerians across media platforms with regards to the possibility of the sect holding the girls for the sake of negotiations and bargains with the government.
While some Nigerians are connecting the abductions to the fact that the sect could be running out of funds and was trying to use the schoolgirls as advantage to get more money to sponsor more of its operations, others are saying that the group is just trying to use the girls as advantage to secure the release of their members and commanders in custody.
However, none of these has been confirmed as fact due to the fact that the sect is yet to make a demand in exchange for the release of the girls. But, the statements of Barrister Aisha suggest that they are not just holding the girls for the sake of creating panic but as leverage.
The Federal Government is yet to disclose concrete plans on how it intends to commence negotiations with the sect, but there have been some reassurances from the sect through Barrister Aisha that the girls are doing fine so far.
