Sec. 2. Findings

407 words·~2 min read·/bill/114/hr/2027/ih/section-2

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

Congress makes the following findings: On the night of April 14, 2014, 276 female students, most of them between 15 and 18 years old, were abducted by Boko Haram from the Chibok Government Girls Secondary School, a boarding school located in Borno state in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. All public secondary schools in Borno state were closed in March 2014 because of increasing attacks by Boko Haram that killed hundreds of students, but the schoolgirls returned to school, despite the potential dangers, determined to pursue their education.

Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for subsequent kidnappings in the region. Boko Haram leaders have threatened to sell the kidnapped schoolgirls into slavery and according to reports, has previously kept female hostages as slaves and committed sexual violence against them. Boko Haram seems determined to carry out sophisticated and deadly attacks and to expand its area of operation. Boko Haram has targeted schools, mosques, churches, villages, and agricultural centers, as well as government facilities, in hopes of creating an Islamic state in northern Nigeria.

There are estimates that Boko Haram has killed more than 4,000 people since 2011, and more than 2,000 people this year alone. There is a possibility that many of the girls may have been taken into neighboring countries. Boko Haram and other terrorist organizations pose a growing threat to United States interests in the region, as well as to broader regional peace and security. In an effort to locate the kidnapped schoolgirls, the United States authorized the deployment of up to 80 military personnel to Chad in order to help with intelligence and surveillance.

The United States military have provided training, equipment, and other support for counter-terrorism units in the Sahel region to combat Al Qaeda affiliates and related groups in Africa. Cameroon, Niger, and Chad have deployed troops in an effort to secure their borders against Boko Haram. The United States named several individuals linked to Boko Haram as Specially Designated Global Terrorists in 2012 and designated Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in November 2013.

On May 22, 2014, the United Nations Security Council added Boko Haram to the 1267 sanctions list, a list of Al Qaeda-linked terrorist organizations subject to weapons embargoes, travel bans, and asset freezes. The Senate and House have both passed resolutions condemning Boko Haram and the abduction of female students by the group from schools in the northeastern province of Borno in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.