Press Releases
Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson to Co-Host Forum on Boko Haram’s Impact and the Obama Administration’s ResponseAssistant Secretary for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield will deliver remarks.
Washington, DC,
February 8, 2016
On Tuesday, February 9, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson will co-host with members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee an Africa Policy Breakfast to examine and raise awareness about Boko Haram’s regional impact and growing threat to Nigeria and the border nations of Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Benin. During Tuesday’s forum, attendees will hear from the State Department’s Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who will provide an update on the support the U.S. has provided to aid Nigeria and its neighbors in their fight against the terrorist group. In addition, a panel of experts will discuss Boko Haram’s impact on the region. Nearly two years ago, Boko Haram captured international attention after it abducted close to 300 Nigerian schoolgirls, 219 of whom are still missing. In 2015, Boko Haram won the title of the world’s deadliest terrorist group when the Institute for Economics & Peace reported that it had killed 6,664 people in 2014 compared to 6,073 killed by the Islamic State during that same period. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Boko Haram killed nearly 11,000 people in 2015, more than half of whom died as the result of suicide bombings and armed raids. The death toll continues to rise this year and includes burning children alive. “I am looking forward to getting a progress report on efforts to secure the safe return of the girls who are still missing as well as what is being done to defeat Boko Haram and end its reign of terror,” says Rep. Wilson, leader of a #BringBackOurGirls social media campaign in the U.S. “My interest is not just about bringing back the girls, but also about focusing and keeping international attention on the world’s deadliest terrorist group. In addition to its lethal impact on human life, Boko Haram is having a devastating impact on the region’s economic and educational systems. They must be stopped.” Since the girls’ abduction, Rep. Wilson has traveled to Nigeria twice to meet with government officials and the kidnapped girls’ families and helped pass two House resolutions condemning the terrorist group. She has also introduced legislation that directs the departments of State and Defense to jointly develop a five-year plan to assist the West African Multinational Joint Task Force in defeating Boko Haram, help rebuild the region’s social and economic infrastructure and eradicate the conditions that have allowed the terrorist group’s rise. WHO: Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson is a third-term Congresswoman from Florida representing parts of Northern Miami-Dade and Southeast Broward counties. A former state legislator and school principal, she is the founder of the 5000 Role Models for Excellence Project, a mentoring program for young males at risk of dropping out of school. Congresswoman Wilson also founded the Florida Ports Caucus, a bipartisan taskforce that coordinates federal action in support of Florida’s harbors and waterways. |