Boko Haram News Update: Death Count Doubles Despite Division and Defeat
Boko Haram killings and attacks have returned. Despite division and defeat, a new report from Amnesty International revealed that the death count committed by the extremist group have doubled since April.
Boko Haram killed 380 individuals in the region of Lake Chad in the last four months, the Amnesty International reports. Female suicide bombers carried out the attacks in crowded areas and at least one bombing incident happened every week, especially in Cameroon.
Boko Haram force young girls to carry out the attacks. In 2014, the group abducted 300 school girls in Chibok to use as suicide bombers. This year, Boko Haram kidnapped at least 67 people, who are now believed to be behind the recent spike in bombings.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"This wave of shocking Boko Haram violence, propelled by a sharp rise in suicide bombings, highlights the urgent need for protection and assistance for millions of civilians in the Lake Chad region," Alioune Tine of Amnesty International said. "The international community should also rapidly scale up its commitment to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to the millions in the region who need it," Tine urged.
The Nigerian military aggressively pursued the extremist group and pushed Boko Haram in the rural regions in its fight against insurgency. While this might be considered a victory against the rebels, it also led to the group dispersing and launching different attacks in Niger, Cameroon, and Chad.
There is also a division in the ranks of Boko Haram as its former leader, Abubakar Shekau, doesn't welcome the ISIS-appointed new leader, Abu Musab al-Barnawi. While both leaders clash in their ideals and tactics, members of Amnesty International said that this division actually makes relief and rescue efforts more challenging as there are more sites and grounds to cover.
Over 20,000 people died due to Boko Haram's attacks in the last eight years. The group's violence also displaced some 2.3 million people from Nigeria, while seven million still struggle amid food shortages and threats of another attack.
