AUSTRALIA has offered to provide its special forces to help Nigeria rescue the more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram from Government Girls Secondary School Chibok on April 14.
Terrorist sect Boko Haram, kidnapped the girls while they slept in the boarding school in Borno State and have since held them in captivity. Their abduction has led to an international outrage and led to the birth of the BringBackOurGirls campaign, with the likes of the US, UK, France and Israel all sending military experts to participate in the search for the girls.
Yesterday, Australia's foreign minister Julie Bishop, said that the country has offered to lend its support with the search but Nigeria has not responded. Also, Christine Milne, the leader of Australia's Green Party, called on the Nigerian government to provide more details before Australia could get involved in the matter.
Ms Bishop said: “Australian troops and the SAS, are always on standby for contingencies. We have made an offer to the Nigerian government to provide whatever support they need to release the girls and we’ve made a specific offer to our UK and US allies that we are ready to assist in whatever way we can. “
We have not had a response from the Nigerian government. They’ve thanked us for our willingness to be involved in trying to rescue the girls but we haven’t had any specific acceptance of the offers that we’ve made.”
Ms Milne added: “The Greens want to see the schoolgirls in Nigeria rescued. It is shocking to think all those young women have been dragged away and we don’t know the circumstances in which they find themselves but I think the prime minister needs to inform Australia fully as to what Australia would be getting into if we sent troops into Africa.
“Is this just about rescuing the schoolgirls or is this about joining a coalition to take on another terrorist war in sub-Saharan Africa? Australians deserve a full explanation of what the prime minister's thinking is before we can make any comment about it but I would be remembering that we went into Afghanistan and look where we ended up?”
Terrorist sect Boko Haram, kidnapped the girls while they slept in the boarding school in Borno State and have since held them in captivity. Their abduction has led to an international outrage and led to the birth of the BringBackOurGirls campaign, with the likes of the US, UK, France and Israel all sending military experts to participate in the search for the girls.
Yesterday, Australia's foreign minister Julie Bishop, said that the country has offered to lend its support with the search but Nigeria has not responded. Also, Christine Milne, the leader of Australia's Green Party, called on the Nigerian government to provide more details before Australia could get involved in the matter.
Ms Bishop said: “Australian troops and the SAS, are always on standby for contingencies. We have made an offer to the Nigerian government to provide whatever support they need to release the girls and we’ve made a specific offer to our UK and US allies that we are ready to assist in whatever way we can. “
We have not had a response from the Nigerian government. They’ve thanked us for our willingness to be involved in trying to rescue the girls but we haven’t had any specific acceptance of the offers that we’ve made.”
Ms Milne added: “The Greens want to see the schoolgirls in Nigeria rescued. It is shocking to think all those young women have been dragged away and we don’t know the circumstances in which they find themselves but I think the prime minister needs to inform Australia fully as to what Australia would be getting into if we sent troops into Africa.
“Is this just about rescuing the schoolgirls or is this about joining a coalition to take on another terrorist war in sub-Saharan Africa? Australians deserve a full explanation of what the prime minister's thinking is before we can make any comment about it but I would be remembering that we went into Afghanistan and look where we ended up?”
Source: Nigerian Watch
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