Six months after hundreds of schoolgirls were abducted by Boko Haram, national security adviser Susan Rice said on Tuesday that the U.S. remains dedicated to securing their release and dismantling the terror group.
{mosads}”We have aided in the investigations, including by deploying personnel on the ground, facilitated strategic communications, and provided assistance to the families. … We will continue to work toward the release of all the girls who remain in captivity,” Rice said in a statement marking the anniversary of the kidnapping in Nigeria.
Separately, the White House said Boko Haram had abducted hundreds of men, women, girls and boys, and killed 3,000 people in Nigeria, and vowed the U.S. was looking ” to dismantle this murderous group.”
“President Obama has directed that the U.S. government do everything it can to help the Nigerian government find and free the abducted girls and, more broadly, to combat Boko Haram in partnership with Nigeria, its neighbors, and other allies,” the White House said.
The dual statements from the administration come as protesters in Nigeria are looking to refocus attention on the plight of the abducted schoolchildren, despite waning international attention.
The girls’ kidnapping sparked nonstop media coverage and dominated social media networks, with celebrities and high-profile political figures, including first lady Michelle Obama, posting messages of solidarity.
But the story has largely faded from the front pages since then, with the Nigerian government locked in stalled negotiations with the terror group.
In Nigeria, the parents of the missing girls and their supporters have used the anniversary to refocus attention on the kidnapping. The “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign staged a walk on Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan’s official residence in Abuja, held a candlelight vigil, and has made parents, many of whom were initially reluctant to speak out, available for media interviews.