Boko Haram: Amnesty International’s attack on military affects terrorism fight

PARTICIPANTS at a one-day International Conference on Human Rights and Armed Conflict in Nigeria on Monday said the blackmail of the Nigerian Military by Amnesty International (AI) slows down desired success in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents.

Rising from the conference on, “Assessing Nigeria’s response to the global security threats and its implications for world peace,” the participants told the federal government to activate the necessary steps for Nigeria to exit the Rome Statute and its creation, the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the military to fight terrorism without the cloak of blackmail constantly hanging over them.

A communique issued at the end of the conference and signed by the Chairman and Secretary, Communique Drafting Committee of the conference, Dr. Mutiullah Olasupo and‎ Barrister Maxwell Gowon, called on government to, in the interim, assure the military that it is insulated from the ICC in view of its operations in meeting international standard of rules of engagement.

‎According to the conference organised by Global Amnesty Watch (GAW) in conjunction with the Institute for African Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, participants agreed on the setting up of a task team to review and respond to any report emanating from Amnesty International, UNICEF and or their associates.

‎According to the communique, the conference evaluated Nigeria’s war on terrorism in the last three years and observed that there was remarkable progress in the fight in the three years under review.

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‎”It is regrettable that there has been a stall in the efforts to totally eradicate Boko Haram insurgents owing to several external interferences.

“These interferences include strategic support for the terrorists by international NGOs like Amnesty International and other groups representing its interests in Nigeria and the failure of Nigeria’s neighbours to honour international and regional commitments,” the communique stated.

It also alleged that the ICC is constantly used to harass and intimidate military commanders and troops to discourage them from being committed to defeating Boko Haram, adding that, the myriads of false reports from Amnesty International and other groups usually have built-in texts that threaten military personnel with arraignment for war crimes and crimes against humanity before the ICC.

It was noted that South Africa, Burundi, Kenya and the Gambia are countries that have taken different steps towards exiting the court created by the Rome Statute because of its confirmed selective justice and usage as a tool for modern-day colonialism.

Local and international speakers at the conference include the President of the Global Amnesty Watch, David Falt, Professor Pita Ogaba Agbese, University of Northern IOWA, [USA]; Mary Johnson, Human Rights Lawyer, [USA]; Dr Malfouz A Adedimeji, former Director, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Ilorin Kwara State and Mr. Stuart McGhie, Senior, Expert/Practitioner in Humanitarian Law, London.

Others are Professor Emmanuel O. Ezeani of the Conflict Resolution and Peace Building Unit, Institute of African Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Dr. Udenta O. Udenta as Conference Moderator.